tibvavy  of fch*  theological  gmimxy 

PRINCETON    •    NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

Presbyterian   Church   in  the  U.S. A, 
Department   of   History 

Presb.  B'd  of  Pub.  COll. 


|3,  £3? 


MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 


<&  ■ ' 


'-V- 


FOE 


1954 


THE  TRUTH. 


BY 

.1?LI 


WILLIAM  S.TLUMER,  D.D. 


Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and 
shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake. — JE6U3 
Christ. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD   OF   PUBLICATION, 

1334  Chestnut  Street. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

THE  TRUSTEES  OP  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District 
of  Pennsylvania. 


Westcott  &  Thomson, 
Stereotypers,  Philada. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Strange  Things 5 

II.  What  Some  have  Said  of  Persecution 8 

III.  What  is  Persecution? 11 

IV.  For  What  do  Men  Persecute  each  Other  ? 14 

V.  Persecution  is  Forbidden 18 

VI.  Who  is  a  Martyr? 24 

VII.  How  Many  Martyrs  have  there  Been 29 

VIII.  The  First  Five  General  Persecutions 33 

IX.  The  Last  Five  General  Persecutions 40 

X.  Later  Persecutions 45 

XI.  A  Remarkable  and  Authentic  Document 48 

XII.  A  Reply,  with  Reflections 54 

XIII.  A  Modern  Martyr 69 

XIV.  Romanism  in  Rome.. 73 

XV.  Rome  a  Persecuting  Power 90 

XVI.   Louis  Montrevel,  or  the  Huguenot  Martyrs..  109 

Appendix 171 

3 


MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

FOR  THE  TRUTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

STRANGE  THINGS. 

THE  word  of  God  leads  us  to  expect  that 
truth  and  piety  will  always  be  opposed 
while  there  are  in  the  world  wicked  men. 
The  hatred  of  the  ungodly  to  the  friends  of 
truth  is  ever  deadly.  The  first  man  that 
was  born  of  a  woman  killed  his  own  brother, 
only  because  his  own  works  were  evil  and  his 
brother's  good.  It  was  malice  against  those 
who  looked  for  Christ  to  come  into  the  world 
that  made  the  Egyptians  so  cruel  to  the 
Israelites.  Saul's  malice  against  David  was 
very  much  of  this  nature.  Wher  he  wished 
for  a  tool  of  his  vengeance  against  the  inno- 
cent, he  found  him.     One  of  his  most  brutal 

1*  5 


6  MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

minions  was  Doeg,  the  Edomite.  This  bloody 
monster,  at  Saul's  bidding,  fell  upon  the 
priests  at  Nob,  and  slew  on  one  day  four- 
score and  five  (that  is,  eighty-five)  persons  that 
did  wear  a  linen  ephod.  The  good  men 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  were  terribly 
hated  and  hunted.  They  were  tortured,  re- 
fusing to  save  their  lives  by  denying  their 
God.  They  had  trial  of  cruel  mockings  and 
scourgings — yea,  moreover  of  bonds  and  im- 
prisonment. They  were  stoned,  they  were 
sawn  asunder,  were  tempted,  were  slain  with 
the  sword ;  they  wandered  in  sheepskins  and 
goatskins,  being  destitute,  afflicted,  tormented. 
They  wandered  in  deserts  and  mountains,  and 
in  dens  and  in  caves  of  the  earth.  This  is 
the  true  history  of  many  of  the  people  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  wrorthy.  They  died 
at  the  hands  of  the  men  for  whose  salvation 
they  prayed. 

Nor  did  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  put  an 
end  to  deeds  of  blood  against  the  saints. 
The  Lord  Jesus  himself  was  put  to  death  in 
the  most   malignant  and   shameful   manner. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  7 

All  his  faithful  apostles  also  died  by  violence, 
except  one,  and  he  was  saved  only  by  miracle. 
Indeed,  our  Lord  Jesus  candidly  told  his 
disciples  that  they  should  be  hated  of  all 
men  for  his  name's  sake;  and  that  the  time 
should  come  when  those  who  should  kill 
them,  would  be  so  filled  with  rage  and  blind- 
ness that  they  should  believe  they  were  do- 
ing God  service.  The  apostles  no  less  faith- 
fully warned  all  who  would  live  godly  in 
Christ  Jesus  that  they  must  suffer  persecution. 

Let  no  one,  therefore,  be  offended  at  the 
Christian  religion  because  of  malice,  slander 
and  persecution  for  Christ's  sake.  The  seed 
of  the  bond  woman  has  always  hated  the  seed 
of  the  free  woman.  Holy  and  fallen  angels 
cannot  work  together,  for  they  are  not  agreed. 
Neither  can  men  who  hate  Christ  Jesus  love 
those  who  would  lay  down  their  lives  for  the 
Son  of  God. 

These  things  are  indeed  strange.  ^Vhy 
do  men  in  spirit  still  cry,  Release  Barabbas 
and  crucify  Jesus  ?  The  reason  is,  that  the 
carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God. 


MABTYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHAT  SOME  HAVE  SAIJ>  OF  PERSECUTION. 

I  HAVE  thought  the  young  reader  might 
be  pleased  here  to  see  how  some  great  and 
good  men  have  despised  the  malice  and  cruel- 
ties of  those  who  sought  to  frighten  them  out 
of  their  avowed  love  to  Christ,  and  what 
others  have  said  of  these  things. 

Stephen,  the  first  Christian  martyr,  dying, 
offered  two  prayers.  One  was  for  himself: 
"  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit."  The  other 
was  for  his  foes :  "  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to 
their  charge." 

Paul  said :  "  The  Holy  Ghost  witnesseth  in 
every  city,  saying  that  bonds  and  imprison- 
ments await  me.  But  none  of  these  things 
move  me,  neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto 
myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with 

joy." 


FOPw   THE   TRUTH.  9 

Gregory  Nazianzen  said :  u  Do  they  cast  us 
out  of  the  city  ?  They  cannot  cast  us  out  of 
that  which  is  in  the  heavens.  If  they  who 
hate  us  could  do  this,  they  would  do  some- 
thing real  against  us.  The  only  thing  we 
have  really  to  be  afraid  of  is  fearing  anything 
more  than  God." 

To  the  king  of  Navarre,  Beza  said :  "  Sire, 
it  belongs  truly  to  God's  Church  rather  to 
suffer  blows  than  to  strike  them ;  but  let  it 
be  your  pleasure  to  remember  that  the  Church 
is  an  anvil  which  hath  worn  out  many  a 
hammer." 

Leighton  said :  "  The  church  has  sometimes 
been  brought  to  so  low  and  obscure  a  point 
that  if  you  can  follow  her  in  history  it  is  by 
the  track  of  her  blood,  and  if  you  would  see 
her,  it  is  by  the  light  of  those  fires  in  wThich 
her  martyrs  have  been  burnt." 

Jortin  remarks :  "  To  banish,  imprison, 
plunder,  starve,  hang  and  burn  men  for  re- 
ligion is  not  the  gospel  of  Christ,  but  the 
gospel  of  the  devil.  Where  persecution  be- 
gins, Christianity  ends.     Christ   never   used 


10  MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

anything  like  force  or  violence,  except  once ; 
and  that  was  to  drive  bad  men  out  of  the 
temple,  and  not  to  drive  them  in." 

Milner  says:  "Persecution  often  does  in 
this  life  what  the  last  day  will  do  com- 
pletely— separate  the  wheat  from  the  tares." 

Spencer  says  :  "  Let  the  Church's  enemies 
plough  never  so  deeply,  and  make  furrows  on 
the  backs  of  God's  people  never  so  long ;  yet 
God's  ends  are  grace  and  mercy,  and  peace  to 
do  them  good  in  the  latter  end." 

Bowes  says :  "  If  you  are  made  to  suffer  for 
religion,  see  that  religion  do  not  suffer  by 
you." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  11 


CHAPTER     III. 
WHAT  is  peilsectjtion? 

PERSECUTION  is  of  three  kinds : 
1.  Mental.  A  wicked  spirit  is  the  root 
of  all  bitterness.  Out  of  the  heart  are  the 
issues  of  life  and  of  death.  Every  man  is 
what  he  is  inwardly.  Cain  had  never  hurt  a 
hair  of  Abel's  head  but  that  he  first  conceived 
mortal  enmity  against  him.  1  John  iii.  12. 
The  Jews  never  would  have  clamoured  for  the 
death  of  Christ  had  they  indulged  no  deadly 
malice  against  him.  Matt,  xxvii.  18;  Mark 
xv.  10.  The  patriarchs,  moved  with  envy, 
sold  Joseph  into  Egypt.  Acts  vii.  9.  Every 
malignant  passion  is  in  its  nature  persecuting. 
Envy  is  a  fearful  incitement  to  wronging 
others.  Yet  it  is  very  common.  James  iv. 
5.     And  although  it  torments  and  even  slays 


12  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

its  subject  (Job  v.  2),  and  is  a  rottenness  in 
the  bones  (Prov.  xiv.  30),  yet  it  is  busy  in 
all  lands  and  in  all  hearts  where  the  grace 
of  God  reigns  not.  It  is  the  parent  of  much 
evil.  "  Where  envying  and  strife  is,  there  is 
confusion  and  every  evil  work."  James  iii. 
16.  It  is  a  base  passion,  often  condemned  in 
Scripture.  Prov.  xxiii.  7;  Rom.  xiii.  13; 
Gal.  v.  21.  Another  form  of  wickedness 
leading  to  persecution  is  bigotry.  The  very 
ignorance  of  these  hot  zealots  only  makes 
them  the  more  intractable.  Watts :  "  In 
philosophy  and  religion  the  bigots  of  all 
parties  are  generally  the  most  positive." 
Bigotry  is  full  of  spleen  and  spite.  It  con- 
stantly tends  to  violence  and  cruelty.  Bigots 
do  every  day  commit  murder  in  their  hearts. 
Some  are  bigots  by  nature,  others  by  trade. 
Narrow,  contracted  views  are  the  foster-pa- 
rents of  wrath  and  wrong.  A  wrong  creed, 
and  a  creed  blindly  adopted,  often  lead  to  the 
same  result.  Bigotry  is  not  dead.  Perhaps 
it  never  flourished  more  than  in  the  nine- 
teenth century. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  13 

2.  Persecution  is  often  by  the  tongue. 
"  The  words  of  the  wicked  are  to  lie  in  wait 
for  blood."  Prov.  xii.  6.  "  The  words  of  a 
talebearer  are  as  wounds."  Prov.  xviii.  8. 
He  who  has  never  felt  the  power  of  scornful 
and  contumelious  language,  of  irony,  sarcasm, 
ridicule,  calumny,  detraction  and  evil  sur- 
misings,  knows  not  the  anguish  of  good  men 
hunted  and  hounded  by  the  wicked.  There 
is  "  a  persecution  sharper  than  the  axe. 
There  is  an  iron  that  goes  into  the  heart 
deeper  than  the  knife.  Cruel  sneers  and  sar- 
casm, and  pitiless  judgments  and  cold-hearted 
calumnies — these  are  persecutions."  Well 
does  Paul  put  down  "cruel  mockings"  along- 
side of  scourgings,  bonds,  imprisonments  and 
death  in  its  most  dismal  shapes.  Heb.  xi.  36, 
37.  "  If  God's  people  were  not  strangers 
here,  the  dogs  wrould  not  bark  at  them." 
11  Woe  unto  you,  when  all  men  shall  speak 
well  of  you !  for  so  did  their  fathers  to  the 
false  prophets."  Luke  vi.  26.  "Blessed  are 
ye  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute 
you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 

2 


14  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

you  falsely,  for  my  sake.  Rejoice,  and  be 
exceeding  glad :  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven."  Matt.  v.  11,  12. 

3.  Again,  persecution  breaks  forth  into  acts 
of  cruelty  and  murder.  It  arrests,  fetters, 
whips,  banishes,  plunders,  confiscates,  smites, 
tortures,  burns  and  hangs.  It  gloats  over 
the  misery  of  its  victims.  Sometimes  it 
expresses  great  compassion  for  the  sufferer, 
but  all  this  is  sheer  hypocrisy.  It  is  as  ma- 
levolent as  hell.  It  riots  in  carnage.  It 
delights  in  groans.  To  make  its  power  felt 
is  its  feast  of  fat  things. 


FOR  THE  TEUTH.  15 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TOR  WHAT  DO  M EN  PERSECUTE  EACH  OTHER  ? 

PERSECUTION  may  be  for  any  cause,  or 
without  cause.  It  is  commonly  on  al- 
leged grounds  of  difference  in  science  or  lite- 
rature, politics  or  religion.  The  scorn  and 
violence  of  one  school  of  letters  toward 
another  is  sometimes  amazing.  Persecution 
for  difference  in  science  is  matter  of  history. 
The  case  of  Galileo  always  comes  up  when 
this  subject  is  named.  Whately  says :  "  Galileo, 
probably,  would  have  escaped  persecution  if 
his  discoveries  could  have  been  disproved  and 
his  reasonings  refuted."  Political  differences 
commonly  engender  great  animosities.  A 
party  long  out  of  power,  at  last  gaining  the 
reins  of  government,  and  fearing  that  their 
tenure  of  office  will  be  short,  commonly  stirs 


16  MAETYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

up  the  passions  of  men  to  an  intense  glow  of 
heat.  Rev.  xii.  12.  But  on  no  subject  is 
passion  so  violent  and  prejudice  so  potent  as 
on  religious  differences.  Yet  seldom  do  men 
avowedly  persecute  others  for  the  real  opin- 
ions they  hold  or  the  actual  usages  they  prac- 
tice. They  often  charge  something  foreign 
from  the  real  ground  of  animosity.  Persecu- 
tors dress  their  victims  in  the  skins  of  wild 
beasts  before  they  set  the  dogs  on  them.  The 
anaconda  smears  its  prey  all  over  before 
swallowing  it. 

The  prophets  predicted  that  the  coming  of 
Messiah  should  engender  the  spirit  of  love 
and  concord  in  all  who  were  heartily  subject 
to  him ;  that  the  mountains  should  bring 
peace  to  the  people,  and  the  little  hills  by 
righteousness;  that  he  should  break  in  pieces 
the  oppressor  ;  that  he  should  come  down  like 
rain  upon  the  mown  grass,  as  showers  that 
water  the  earth  ;  that  under  his  glorious  reign 
the  wolf  should  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the 
leopard  should  lie  down  with  the  kid,  and 
the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  17 

together ;  and  a  little  child  should  lead  them. 
And  the  cow  and  the  bear  should  feed  ;  their 
young  ones  should  lie  down  together  ;  and  the 
lion  should  eat  straw  like  the  ox.  And  the 
sucking  child  should  play  on  the  hole  of  the 
asp,  and  the  weaned  child  should  put  his  hand 
on  the  cockatrice'  den.  God  says  that  in  that 
blessed  day  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy 
in  all  my  holy  mountain.  Ps.  lxxii.  3-6 ; 
Isa.  xi.  6-8. 

2* 


18  MABTYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 


CHAPTER  V. 
PJEMSJECUTION  is  forbidden. 

JESUS  CHEIST  condemned  and  forbade  a 
fiery,  persecuting  spirit.  When  the  Samari- 
tans thought  that  Christ  had  decided,  or  was 
about  to  decide,  against  them  the  controversy 
betwixt  them  and  the  Jews,  they  did  not  re- 
ceive him.  "  And  when  his  disciples,  James  and 
John,  saw  this,  they  said,  Lord,  wilt  thou  that 
we  command  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven  to 
consume  them  ?"  Luke  ix.  54.  These  Samar- 
itans were  ignorant  idolaters,  schismatical 
and  heretical.  John  iv.  22.  They  refused  to 
receive  the  Lord  from  heaven.  Yet  Christ 
would  not  allow  his  followers  even  to  impre- 
cate judgments  on  their  enemies.  Christ  says 
the  very  temper  displayed  by  these  disciples 
was  all  wrong.  He  says  he  came  not  "to 
destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  19 

Tillotson  :  "  He  came  to  discountenance  all 
fierceness  and  rage  and  cruelty  in  men  one 
toward  another ;  to  restrain  and  subdue  that 
furious  and  unpeaceable  spirit  which  is  so 
troublesome  to  the  world  and  the  cause  of  so 
many  mischiefs  and  disorders  in  it;  to  beget 
a  peaceable  disposition  in  men  of  the  most 
distant  tempers."  So  when  Peter  drew  his 
sword,  even  in  defence  of  Christ's  sacred  per- 
son, the  Master  said,  "  Put  up  again  thy 
sword  into  his  place,  for  all  they  that  take  the 
sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword."  Matt.  xxvi. 
52;  John  xviii.  11. 

The  apostles  carried  out  the  principles 
inculcated  by  Christ.  They  taught,  wrarned, 
rebuked  and  reproved  with  all  long-suffering 
and  doctrine.  They  called  on  the  early  Chris- 
tians to  follow  peace  and  holiness ;  in  meek- 
ness to  instruct  those  that  fell  into  error,  that 
they  might  be  recovered  from  the  snares  that 
entangled  them ;  to  lay  aside  all  malice  and 
guile,  and  envies,  and  wrath,  and  bitterness, 
and  evil-speaking ;  to  be  gentle  toward  all 
men  ;  to  bless  and  not  to  curse. 


20  MARTYRS   AKD   SUFFERERS 

That  for  centuries  the  early  Christians  held 
the  same  views  is  clear  from  their  writings. 
The  primitive  Christians  carried  out  the 
teachings  of  Scripture,  opposing  all  compulsion 
in  matters  of  religion. 

Ignatius  says :  "  Count  them  enemies  and 
separate  from  them  who  hate  God,  but  for 
beating  or  persecuting  them,  that  is  proper 
to  the  heathen,  who  know  not  God  nor  our 
Saviour ;  do  you  not  so." 

Speaking  of  Christians,  Origen  says :  "  We 
ought  to  use  the  sword  against  no  one." 
Tertullian  :  "  It  is  no  part  of  religion  to  com- 
pel religion."  The  same  is  taught  by  Cyprian : 
"  The  Father  has  given  to  the  Son  what  no 
one  can  claim  to  himself — to  dash  in  pieces 
with  a  rod  of  iron  the  earthen  vessels,  or 
become  the  avenger."  Lactantius :  "  Force 
and  injury  are  not  needful,  for  religion  cannot 
be  compelled.  Torture  and  piety  are  exceed- 
ingly diverse ;  nor  can  either  truth  be  joined 
w7ith  violence  or  justice  with  cruelty.  For 
religion  is  to  be  defended  not  by  killing,  but 
by  dying ;  not  by  severity,  but  by  patience." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  21 

Bernard  :  "  Faith  comes  by  persuasion,  not  by 
being  thrust  upon  men.  Heretics  are  to  be 
won,  not  by  arms,  but  by  arguments.  Attack 
them  with  the  Word,  not  with  the  sword." 
Gregory  of  Rome :  "  To  beat  in  faith  with 
stripes  is  a  new  and  unheard-of  kind  of 
preaching."  Indeed,  Du  Pin,  who  has  col- 
lected many  like  authorities,  says,  "The 
ancients  taught  with  unanimous  consent  the 
unlawfulness  of  compulsion  and  punishment 
in  religion."  And  Owen  says  :  "  The  Chris- 
tians of  those  days  disclaimed  all  thoughts  of 
such  proceedings." 

Persecution  belongs  to  paganism,  infidelity, 
superstition  and  atheism,  not  to  the  temple  of 
Jehovah.  It  was  born  in  malice,  superstition 
and  devilish  cruelty.  It  has  been  used  a 
thousand  times  against  the  truth  more  than 
against  error.  When  wielded  against  heretics 
it  has  done  far  more  mischief  than  has  ever 
been  said  of  it.  Owen  says  that  persecution 
"  brought  fire  and  faggot  into  Christian  reli- 
gion, making  havoc  of  the  true  Church  of 
Christ   and   shedding  blood   of  thousands." 


22  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

Again  :  "  For  three  hundred  years  the  Church 
had  no  assistance  from  any  magistrate  against 
heretics ;  and  yet  in  all  that  space  there  was 
not  one  long-lived,  far-spreading  heresy,  in 
comparison  of  those  that  followed." 

Besides  the  arguments  already  dropped 
against  persecution,  Doddridge  has  at  length 
and  successfully  maintained  these  proposi- 
tions : 

1.  "Persecution  for  conscience'  sake — i.e., 
inflicting  penalties  on  men  merely  for  their 
religious  principles  or  worship — is  plainly 
founded  on  an  absurd  supposition  that  one 
man  has  a  right  to  judge  for  another  in  matters 
of  religion." 

2.  "  Persecution  is  most  evidently  inconsist- 
ent with  that  obvious  and  fundamental  prin- 
ciple of  morality  that  we  should  do  to  others 
as  we  could  reasonably  desire  they  should  do 
to  us." 

3.  "  Persecution  is  evidently  absurd,  and  is 
by  no  means  calculated  to  answer  the  ends 
which  its  patrons  profess  to  intend  by  it." 

4.  "  Persecution  evidently  tends  to  produce 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  23 

a  great  deal  of  confusion  and  mischief  in  the 
world." 

5.  "The  Christian  religion,  which  we 
here  suppose  to  be  the  cause  of  truth,  must, 
humanly  speaking,  be  not  only  obstructed,  but 
destroyed,  should  persecuting  principles  uni- 
versally prevail." 

6.  "  Persecution  is  so  far  from  being 
required  or  encouraged  by  the  gospel,  that  it 
is  most  directly  contrary  to  many  of  its  pre- 
cepts, and  indeed  to  the  whole  genius  of  it." 

No  man  can  too  deeply  abhor  both  the 
spirit  and  practice  of  persecution.  Nor  can 
any  one  be  too  much  afraid  of  the  guilt  of  a 
persecutor.  Had  Saul  of  Tarsus  known  what 
he  was  doing  when  he  was  persecuting  the 
Church,  his  damnation  would  have  been  as 
certain  as  it  would  have  been  just.  1  Tim. 
i.  13.     Compare  1  Thess.  ii.  15,  16. 


24  MARTYRS   AKD   SUFFERERS 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WHO  IS  A  MARTTK? 

THE  Greek  word  from  which  we  get  our 
word  martyr  occurs  more  than  thirty- 
times  in  the  New  Testament,  and  is  commonly 
rendered  vntness,  in  the  plural  witnesses — twice 
record  and  thrice  martyr  or  martyrs.  It  is 
applied  to  judicial  witnesses  in  Matt.  xvii.  16 ; 
to  one  who  testifies  to  the  truth  of  what  he 
sees  hears  or  knows,  Luke  xxiv.  48 ;  Acts  i. 
8,  22 ;  and  to  one  who  not  only  testifies  to 
the  truth,  but  lays  down  his  life  for  the  truth, 
Acts  xxii.  20 ;  Rev.  ii.  13 ;  xvii.  6.  In  the 
Scriptures  this  is  the  least  common  meaning 
of  the  word,  but  for  centuries  ecclesiastical 
writers  have  used  it  in  no  other  sense.  All 
witnesses  are  not  martyrs,  but  all  martyrs 
are  witnesses  of  something.  A  martyr,  then,  is 
one  who  by  his  death  bears  witness  to  the  truth 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  25 

of  his  principles  and  belief.  In  strictness 
of  language,  according  to  South,  "  To  be  a 
martyr  signifies  only  to  witness  the  truth  of 
Christ ;  but  the  witnessing  of  the  truth  was 
then  so  generally  attended  with  persecution 
that  martyrdom  now  signifies  not  only  to 
witness,  but  to  witness  by  death."  Dr.  J. 
W.  Alexander  says :  "  A  witness  is  called  in 
Greek  a  martyr.  We  have  borrowed  the 
word  and  made  it  sacred  in  our  tongue." 
Colton  says:  "He  that  dies  a  martyr  proves 
that  he  is  not  a  knave."  He  gives  the  high- 
est proof  of  his  sincerity. 

A  martyr  differs  from  a  confessor  only  in 
this,  that  the  confessor  avows  the  truth,  and 
his  love  for  it,  in  the  face  of  danger  and 
when  he  expects  to  die  for  his  confession,  but 
in  some  way  his  life  is  spared.  A  martyr  is 
a  confessor  who  actually  lays  down  his  life. 
In  the  primitive  Church  were  many  con- 
fessors— "  men  that  had  hazarded  their  lives 
for  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
Acts  xv.  26.  Indeed,  in  many  ages  of  the 
world  it  has  been  worth  all  a  man's  earthly 


26  MAETYKS  AND   STJFFEEEKS 

possessions,  and  life  itself,  unflinchingly  to 
avow  the  simple  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The 
first  martyr  was  Abel.  He  being  dead  yet 
speaketh.  Heb.  xii.  4.  That  is,  every  refer- 
ence to  his  sacrifice  and  death  declares  the 
necessity  of  an  atonement  for  sin;  that  if 
sinners  would  be  accepted  of  God,  they  must 
come  penitently  confessing  their  transgres- 
sions and  asking  for  mercy  through  the  great 
sacrifice  of  Calvary;  that  justifying  right- 
eousness is  by  faith — a  faith  that  obeys  as 
well  as  relies  ;  that  a  believer's  inheritance  is 
in  a  better  world  ;  that  we  must  be  willing 
to  forfeit  the  favour  and  incur  the  malice  of 
even  our  own  kindred,  if  we  would  please 
God ;  and  that  the  dying  testimony  of  mar- 
tyrs is  not  useless.  Posthumous  usefulness 
has  marked  no  class  of  men  more  than  the 
martyrs.  To  this  day  they  have  been  pre- 
eminently serviceable  in  keeping  alive  a 
knowledge  of  the  saving  truths  of  Scripture. 
Testimony  sealed  with  blood  God  has  greatly 
owned  to  the  salvation  of  men.  "  The  blood 
of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  Church." 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  27 

The  faith  and  constancy  of  one  sufferer  for 
the  truth  has  in  one  day  won  hundreds  to  the 
Redeemer, 

IS    EVERY   TRUE  CHRISTIAN  AT  HEART  A 

martyr?  If  the  meaning  of  this  question 
be,  whether  at  all  times  God's  real  people  are 
in  such  a  frame  as  that,  without  warning  and 
special  preparation,  they  would  universally 
yield  up  their  lives  rather  than  deny  Christ, 
we  must  answer  in  the  negative.  Peter, 
Cranmer  and  others  denied  Christ  and  his 
truth.  They  were  found  off  their  guard. 
They  were  taken  by  surprise.  But  if  the 
meaning  of  the  question  be  whether,  upon  fail 
notice  and  after  due  consideration,  a  real  child 
of  God  will  yield  his  life  rather  than  be  false 
to  his  profession  and  treasonable  to  Christ, 
the  answer  must  be  in  the  affirmative.  So 
Christ  has  himself  determined.  Luke  xiv. 
26,  27,  33.  That  man  is  not  to  be  regarded 
as  an  established  Christian  who,  upon  the 
call  of  God,  is  not  willing  to  be  found  in  a 
minority  of  one  against  millions.  Lot  was  a 
good  man,  and,  though  he  dwelt  in  Sodom, 


28  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

he  was  not  a  sodomite,  but  the  surrounding 
wickedness  vexed  his  righteous  soul  from 
day  to  day.  Noah  stood  alone  in  testifying 
against  the  wickedness  of  his  times.  Caleb, 
Joshua  and  Phinehas  wrought  righteousness 
and  obtained  a  good  report  by  intrepidly  op- 
posing the  unbelief  and  wickedness  of  the 
great  mass  of  their  nation.  The  truly  faith- 
ful stand  firm  even  among  the  faithless. 
They  are  not  governed  by  popular  suffrage, 
but  by  the  Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and 
abideth  for  ever.  "  I  can  do  no  otherwise," 
said  Martin  Luther,  "God  help  me!" 
The  apostles  said,  "  We  ought  to  obey  God 
rather  than  man." 


FOR   THE    TRUTH.  29 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOW  3TAJST  MAMTYBS  HAVE  THERE  BEEX? 

IT  is  impossible  to  answer  this  question  with 
arithmetical  precision.  There  seems  to  be 
no  reason  for  seriously  doubting  that  the 
whole  number  in  all  ages  exceeds  fifty  mil- 
lions. From  the  days  of  Abel  there  have 
been  many  outbursts  of  the  bloody  spirit  of 
persecution.  What  torrents  of  righteous  blood 
were  shed  before  the  deluge  we  know  not. 
One  stroke  of  the  pen  of  inspiration  tells  all 
we  know :  "  The  earth  was  filled  with  vio- 
lence." This  expression  comprehends  all 
kinds  of  murders  as  well  as  of  martyrdoms. 
If  in  those  times  the  wicked  shed  each  other's 
blood,  it  is  not  credible  that  the  pious  escaped 
their  malice.  So  ft  the  history  of  the  Jews 
martyrs  abounded.  *  It  was  not  a  rhetorical 
figure  in  Stephen  to  cry  out :  "  As  your 
3* 


30  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 

fathers  did,  so  do  ye.  "Which  of  the  prophets 
have  not  your  fathers  persecuted  ?  and  they 
have  slain  them  which  showed  before  of  the 
coming  of  the  Just  One ;  of  whom  ye  have 
been  now  the  betrayers  and  murderers."  Acts 
vii.  51,  52.  Indeed,  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
saints,  both  by  Jews  and  heathen,  Paul  speaks 
when  he  says,  "  that  through  faith  they 
stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the 
violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword ; 
out  of  weakness  were  made  strong,  waxed 
valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the  armies 
of  the  aliens.  Women  received  their  dead 
raised  to  life  again ;  and  others  were  tortured, 
not  accepting  deliverance,  that  they  might 
obtain  a  better  resurrection  ;  and  others  had 
trial  of  cruel  mockings  and  scourgings,  yea, 
moreover  of  bonds  and  imprisonments :  they 
were  stoned,  they  were  sawn  asunder,  were 
tempted  [some  read,  were  branded;  some,  were 
burnt  alive ;  some,  were  mutilated;  and  some, 
were  impaled  or  transfixed'],  were  slain  with 
the  sword ;  they  wandered  about  in  sheepskins 
and  goatskins;  being  deslitute,  afflicted,  tor- 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  31 

mented  (of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy) ; 
they  wandered  in  deserts  and  in  mountains, 
and  in  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth."  Heb.  xi. 
33-37.  In  some  respects  we  have  not  a 
more  wonderful  history  of  sufferings  for  the 
truth  than  that  we  find  in  the  books  of 
Maccabees  and  in  Josephus,  relating  to  the 
cruelties  practiced  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 

After  the  death  of  Christ,  the  first  martyr 
was  Stephen,  the  history  of  whose  intrepidity, 
loving  disposition  and  glorious  death  is 
given  in  Acts  vi.,  vii.  Many  things  respect- 
ing the  close  of  his  earthly  existence  are 
worthy  of  special  note,  but  they  are  either 
given  in  the  inspired  narrative  or  are  sug- 
gested by  the  practical  commentators  on  the 
record. 

This  was  but  the  beginning  of  the  shedding 
of  the  blood  of  saints;  for  "at  that  time  there 
was  a  great  persecution  against  the  Church 
which  was  at  Jerusalem ;  and  they  were  all 
scattered  abroad  throughout  the  regions  of 
Judea  and  Samaria,  except  the  apostles." 
Acts  viii.  1      Stephen's  martyrdom  is  com- 


32  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

monly  supposed  to  have  occurred  the  same  year 
as  our  Lord's  ascension  to  heaven.  From 
this  time,  for  near  three  hundred  years,  with 
occasional  cessations,  the  blood  of  the  saints 
flowed  like  water.  Besides  many  persecutions 
confined  to  villages,  cities  or  provinces,  there 
were  ten  general  persecutions  against  the 
Christians  in  the  Roman  empire. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  33 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  FFBST  FIVE  GEXEBAE  PEItSECUTIOXS. 

THE  history  of  these  bloody  days  is  indeed 
appalling.  The  first  general  persecu- 
tion was  under  the  emperor  Claudius  Dorui- 
tius  Xero,  the  son  of  an  ambitious  woman, 
who  said,  "  Let  my  son  slay  me,  if  he  may 
but  be  emperor."  He  put  on  the  imperial 
purple  and  grasped  the  imperial  sceptre 
when  young,  A.  D.  50.  At  first  he  seemed 
mild,  humane,  and  even  tender-hearted. 
When  first  called  to  sign  a  death-warrant,  he 
seemed  much  moved  and  expressed  the  wish 
that  he  could  not  write.  But  he  soon  became 
licentious,  cruel,  vindictive  and  extremely 
malignant.  He  inhumanly  put  his  own 
mother  to  death.  He  cared  for  neither  justice 
nor  mercy.  He  was  the  author  of  many 
intolerable   oppressions    and   wrongs   to    his 


34  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

people.  He  cared  not  how  much  he  degraded 
any  class  of  Romans.  Under  him  Peter  and 
Paul  suffered  martyrdom.  To  him  Paul  is 
supposed  to  refer  in  2  Tim.  iv.  11,  as  a  lion. 
His  persecutions  of  the  Christians  as  a  class, 
began  A.  D.  64,  and  lasted  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  June,  A.  D.  68.  He  caused 
Rome  to  be  set  on  fire,  that  he  might  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  a  spectacle  like  that  of  the 
burning  of  Troy,  and  then  charged  the  awful 
crime  on  the  Christians.  So  fearful  was  the 
havoc  made  in  the  Church  that  one  might  see 
cities  full  of  the  bodies  of  dead  men  and 
women  cast  out  uncovered  in  the  open  streets. 
Such  crime  and  cruelty  cannot  always  proceed. 
If  Christian  long-suffering  forbears  and  divine 
mercy  withholds  direct  thunderbolts  of  wrath, 
wicked  men  themselves  will  not  always  be 
idle.  High  and  low  at  last  conspired  to  rid 
the  world  of  the  intolerable  burden  of  this 
one  man's  crimes  and  iniquities.  Seeing  con- 
dign punishment  awaiting  him,  overwhelmed 
with  anguish,  forsaken  by  those  who  had 
applauded  his  vices,  and  lashed  by  a  guilty 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  35 

conscience,  he  committed  suicide,  and  rushed 
unbidden  into  the  presence  of  the  God  whose 
martyrs  he  had  slain.  Then  for  a  time 
God's  people  had  less  annoyance. 

But  in  A.  D.  94  a  second  general  perse- 
cution of  the  Christians  in  the  Roman  empire 
began.  It  raged  with  great  violence,  and 
gave  the  crown  of  martyrdom  to  multitudes. 
It  was  under  the  authority  and  instigation  of 
the  emperor,  Titus  Flavius  Domitian.  Like 
Xero,  his  early  history  promised  well.  He 
seemed  to  have  an  almost  feminine  gentle- 
ness, an  uncommon  mildness  of  disposition. 
At  length  his  mind  took  a  turn  toward 
cruelty.  At  first  he  tortured  flies  with  a 
bodkin.  Soon  he  became  wanton  in  his  in- 
flictions of  suffering  on  men,  till  in  the  forty- 
third  year  of  his  age  his  cruelties  burst  forth 
in  flaming  and  indiscriminate  wrath  against 
God's  people.  His  pride  was  insufferable, 
his  arrogance  like  that  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
He  required  his  own  image  to  be  worshipped. 
His  malice  was  not  a  little  excited  against  the 
great  men  of  his  empire.  He  had  a  special  spite 


36  MAETYES  AND  SUFFEEEES 

against  all  the  descendants  of  David,  and  par- 
ticularly the  near  kinsmen  of  our  Lord.  In 
this  persecution  there  was  a  resort  to  nearly 
every  conceivable  device  for  inflicting  pain 
and  begetting  terror.  This  persecution  was 
also  more  cunning  than  that  of  Nero,  inas- 
much as  all  the  arts  of  deception  were  em- 
ployed in  inventing  false  charges  against  the 
Christians  to  cover  up  the  foulness  of  the 
murders  perpetrated  under  forms  of  law.  It 
was  alleged  that  Christians  held  Christ's 
kingdom  was  of  this  world  ;  that  all  public 
calamities  were  owing  to  the  impiety  and 
atheism  of  Christians;  and  that  the  Christians 
practiced  great  wickedness,  of  which  no  proof 
was  ever  submitted.  But  God  at  length  had 
mercy  on  his  poor  suffering  people,  took  his 
almighty  hand  off  the  hearts  of  some  wicked 
men,  and  let  loose  their  horrid  passions  on 
Domitian.  After  two  years  of  persecution  of 
Christians,  Domitian  was  assassinated  A.  D. 
96.  Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  cruel  and 
extensive  persecutions  ever  waged  against 
truth  and  righteousness.     Bloody  and  deceit- 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  37 

ful  men  shall  not  live  out  half  their  days. 
Bat  the  Church  had  rest  for  only  a  year  or 
two ;  for  though  Domitian  was  succeeded  by 
the  wise  and  mild  Cocceius  Nerva,  who  lived 
but  a  short  time,  yet  there  soon  came  the 
brave  and  brutal,  the  popular  and  persecuting 
M.  Alpinus  Crinitus  Trajan,  whose  sensibili- 
ties had  probably  been  blunted  in  the  Asiatic 
campaigns  of  Vespasian  and  Titus,  and  wrho 
probably  confounded  Judaism  and  Christian- 
ity. Under  him,  in  A.  D.  98,  began  the 
third  general  persecution,  which  lasted 
much  longer  than  those  under  iSero  and 
Domitian.  It  was  exceedingly  dreadful,  be- 
cause, though  without  the  capricious  and  fit- 
ful cruelty  of  some  others,  it  had  the  awful 
severity  of  the  worst,  and  swept  multitudes 
into  eternity.  Trajan  reigned  about  twenty 
years.  From  his  death,  A.  D.  118,  there  was 
no  general  and  legal  hunting  and  murdering 
of  God's  people  till  after  the  death  of  Anto- 
ninus Pius,  w7hich  occurred  in  A.  D.  161. 

Soon    after   began    the    fourth    general 
persecution  under  Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus, 
4 


38  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

who  had  married  Faustina,  the  daughter  of 
Antoninus  Pius,  and  who  reigned  nineteen 
years,  with  great  severity  of  conduct  toward  the 
Christians,  although  his  treatment  of  his  pagan 
subjects  won  for  him  unusual  popularity.  His 
son,  the  feeble,  debauched  and  cruel  Commodus, 
succeeded  him  and  kept  up  the  persecution 
for  twelve  years  longer,  and  then  perished  by 
poison  given  him  by  his  concubine,  Marcia. 
One  of  his  last  victims  was  a  Roman  senator. 
After  the  death  of  Commodus  the  Church  had 
comparative  rest  for  twelve  or  thirteen  years, 
till  after  the  middle  of  the  reign  of  Lucius 
Septimus  Severus,  when  the  fifth  general 
persecution  began.  This  emperor  was  bold, 
enterprising,  and  for  more  than  ten  years  of 
his  power  seemed  to  consult  the  good  of  all  his 
subjects.  But  at  length  his  Cainish  malice 
was  roused,  perhaps  by  false  and  slanderous 
accusations  against  the  Christians.  About 
A.  D.  205  the  number  of  martyrs  slain  was 
immense.  On  all  hands  was  slaughter.  But 
in  Africa  the  number  of  victims  was  frightful. 
Severus  died  in  A.  D.  21 1,  but  it  is  not  cer- 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  39 

tain  whether  in  Germany  or  in  Britain — 
whether  by  violence  or  by  disease.  His  end 
terminated  this  flow  of  precious  blood  for 
about  twenty-four  years. 


40  MARTYRS   AND  SUFFERERS 


CHAPTER  IX. 

TXJE  ZAST  FIVE  GENERAL  PERSECUTIONS. 

OAIUS  JULIUS  VERUS  MAXIMI- 
NUS  was  the  next  great  persecutor.  He 
was  the  son  of  a  Thracian  peasant,  then  a 
successful  soldier,  then  emperor.  He  was  in 
frame  and  strength  a  giant;  in  temper  and 
conduct  wanton  and  cruel ;  to  good  men  an 
object  of  detestation ;  to  his  country  a  curse. 
He  was  raised  to  imperial  power  by  the  army 
rather  than  by  the  senate.  He  had  hardly 
put  on  the  diadem  of  the  Caesars  until  a  new 
Iliad  of  woes  opened  on  the  Church.  Under 
him  occurred  the  sixth  general  persecution 
of  Christians.  While  it  lasted  it  was  indeed 
dreadful.  The  authorities  at  hand  are  not 
agreed  as  to  the  exact  time  of  his  death.  It 
is  well  known  that  his  career  of  crime  and 
cruelty  was   not  very  long  (some   say  three 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  41 

years),  and  was  terminated  by  the  very  sol- 
diers whom  he  had  made  familiar  with  scenes 
of  murderous  carnage.  The  triumph  of  the 
wicked  is  short. 

The  seventh  general  persecution  was 
begun  under  Decius,  who  became  emperor 
A.  D.  249.  The  havoc  he  made  of  the  Church 
was  truly  frightful.  His  rage  knew  no  bounds. 
He  came  into  power  by  killing  his  master 
Philip,  who  had  been  just  and  even  kind  to 
the  Christians,  and  had  confided  the  public 
treasure  to  Fabian,  a  Roman  bishop.  Per- 
haps this  very  circumstance  made  Decius  the 
more  furious  against  God's  people.  Although 
he  was  emperor  but  two  years,  yet  it  is  proba- 
ble that  more  martyrs  suffered  in  those  twenty- 
four  months  than  in  any  equal  portion  of 
time  under  any  other  of  the  Caesars.  One 
sober  writer  compares  the  number  of  martyrs 
to  the  sands  on  the  seashore.  Decius  was 
victorious  in  battle  against  the  Persians,  but 
soon  after  perished  with  his  army  in  a  morass 
fighting  against  the  Goths.  His  successor 
was  C.  Vibius  Gallus,  who  soon  took  up  the 

4* 


42  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

business  of  persecutor  where  his  predecessor 
had  left  it.  In  his  character  was  nothing  to 
admire.  He  died  a  violent  death :  his  sol- 
diers assassinated  hirn. 

For  a  few  subsequent  years  God's  people 
had  considerable  quiet  under  Publius  Licinius 
Valerianus.  But  ere  long,  about  A.  D.  257, 
began  the  eighth  general  persecution.  Va- 
lerian's mind  became  poisoned,  it  is  said, 
through  the  influence  gained  over  him  by  an 
Egyptian.  It  is  probable  also  that  some 
professed  Christians  committed  indiscretions 
and  showed  too  great  fondness  for  the  world, 
though  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  plotted 
or  perpetrated  any  crime.  The  end  of  this 
monster  was  dreadful.  He  waged  war  against 
the  Goths,  Scythians  and  Persians.  The 
Persians  captured  him,  carried  him  through 
their  country  as  a  spectacle,  and  at  last,  by 
the  order  of  Sapor,  king  of  Persia,  he  was 
flayed  alive  and  his  skin,  tanned,  was  hung 
up  in  a  Persian  temple.  This  fearful  end 
and  the  providence  of  God  over  the  mind  of 
his  son  and   colleague,  Gallienus,  moderated 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  43 

his  ferocity,  though  he  did  not  wholly  stop 
the  effusion  of  innocent  blood.  He  was  him- 
self assassinated,  A.  D.  268. 

The  ninth  general  persecution  was  begun 
by  the  emperor  Aurelian,  the  son  of  an  II- 
lyrian  peasant.  He  has  been  famous  for  his 
conquest  of  Zenobia,  queen  of  Palmyra,  and 
infamous  for  his  intended  cruelties  against  the 
Christians  and  for  his  crimes  against  his  own 
blood  relations.  He  had  prepared,  but  never 
actually  signed,  a  decree  of  persecution  against 
the  Church.  While  meditating  these  awful 
calamities  against  his  best  subjects,  God  let 
loose  the  passions  of  Pagans  against  him. 
After  reigning  four  years  or  less,  he  was 
assassinated  A.  D.  275.  But  during  his 
reign,  and  under  Tacitus  and  Florianus,  the 
numbers  of  Christians  who  suffered  imprison- 
ment and  who  expected  death  was  very  great. 

The  tenth  and  last  general  persecution 
bears  the  name  of  Dioclesian.  Caius  Valerius 
Dioclesian  was  of  an  humble  family  in  Dal- 
matia.  He  became  emperor  A.  D.  284. 
He  ohose  as  his  colleague  Galcrius  Valerius 


44  MAETYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

Maximian,  a  Thracian  shepherd.  These  united 
with  them  two  others,  Galerius  and  Constan- 
tius.  These  four  men  seemed  to  be  just  and 
mild,  and  for  a  considerable  time  were  very- 
prosperous  in  public  affairs.  At  length  suc- 
cess engendered  pride,  and  pride  is  impiety. 
Dioclesian  began  his  fearful  course  by  requir- 
ing divine  honours  to  be  paid  to  him.  This 
was  soon  followed  by  the  sacking  and  demol- 
ishing of  churches  and  by  the  burning  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  These  acts  were  followed 
by  persecuting  decrees  sent  forth  in  rapid 
succession,  until,  in  extent,  terror  and  cruelty, 
there  had  been  nothing  in  history  like  the 
Dioclesian  persecution.  Serena,  the  emperor's 
wife,  herself  became  a  victim.  In  every  cruel 
form,  for  ten  years  together,  these  four  men, 
with  others  like  them,  stained  every  part  of 
the  empire  with  the  blood  of  the  saints.  Dio- 
clesian lacked  neither  talent  nor  force  of  cha- 
racter, but  all  this  made  him  the  more  danger- 
ous enemy  to  the  Church  of  God. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  45 


CHAPTER  X. 
ZATEB  persecutions. 

SIXCE  these  ten  general  persecutions  there 
have  been  many  horrible  slaughters  of  the 
saints.  It  seems  to  be  generally  admitted  that 
not  less  than  a  million  of  the  Waldenses  were 
put  to  death  in  France.  Xearly  as  many 
orthodox  Christians  were  slain  in  less  than 
forty  years  after  the  establishment  of  the  order 
of  Jesuits.  The  Duke  of  Alva  boasted  that 
in  his  short  career  in  the  Low  Countries  he  had 
caused  thirty-six  thousand  to  be  put  to  death 
by  the  common  executioner.  And  so  it  has 
been  in  all  times  of  persecution.  When  the 
wolves  have  gotten  among  the  flock,  they  have 
glutted  a  mighty  raven  ere  they  lay  down  to 
rest.  Persecutors  have  no  pity.  There  is  no 
flesh  in  their  heart.  Like  death  and  hell,  they 
are  never  full.    The  United  States  of  America 


46  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 

and  Mexico  do  not  this  day  contain  as  many 
souls  as  have  been  slain  for  the  word  of  God 
and  the  testimony  of  Jesus. 

There  is  a  general  impression  in  the  Chris- 
tian world  that  yet  other  bloody  persecutions 
await  the  Church.  This  is  probably  correct. 
More  than  one  prophecy  of  Scripture  indicates 
that  before  the  close  of  the  present  dispensa- 
tion the  passions  of  malignant  men  will  be 
let  loose  in  the  direst  manner  to  afflict  the 
saints.  But  it  is  not  germane  to  the  object  of 
this  work  to  go  at  length  into  the  considera- 
tion of  prophecy. 

Some  have  suggested  that  probably  in  the 
wasting  of  future  persecutions  God's  people 
in  America  may  be  exempt  from  the  fiery 
trials  that  shall  come  on  the  churches  of  the 
Old  World.  Perhaps  this  is  rather  a  kind 
wish  than  a  judgment  founded  on  any  teach- 
ing of  Scripture.  If  the  people  of  this  country 
have  not  shed  much  of  the  blood  of  saints, 
they  are  in  many  cases  the  descendants  of 
persecutors.  The  law  of  retribution  is  still 
in  force.     The  causes  which  disturb  the  pas- 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  47 

sions  of  men  and  arouse  the  malignity  of 
mankind  have,  and  will  probably  continue  to 
have,  as  full  sway  and  as  fell  swoop  in  America 
as  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Coming 
across  the  Atlantic  is  no  cure  for  the  enmity 
of  the  human  heart  against  godliness  and 
Christian  simplicity.  The  combinations  of 
the  elements  of  wickedness  are  easily  formed. 
Where  men  feel  heart  to  heart  the  distinctions 
of  birth,  sect  or  nationality  are  easily  set 
aside;  and  bad  men,  moved  by  a  common 
impulse,  are  easily  fused  into  a  molten  mass 
of  spite  and  wrath,  desolating  everything  in 
its  track  and  burying  whole  provinces  in 
indiscriminate  ruin. 


48  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 


CHAPTER  XL 

A  MEMAMKABJLE  AND  AUTHENTIC  DOCU- 
MENT. 

PLINY'S  LETTER  TO  TRAJAN. 

C^CILIUS  SECUNDUS  PLINY  was 
the  nephew  of  Caius  Secundus  Pliny,  the 
philosopher,  who  wrote  the  Natural  History, 
and  lost  his  life  A.  D.  79,  by  making  too 
near  an  approach  to  the  crater  of  Vesuvius 
during  an  eruption.  Csecilius  Pliny  is  com- 
monly called  Pliny  the  Younger.  He  had 
the  best  advantages  of  education,  having 
Quintilian  for  his  instructor.  He  was  greatly 
esteemed  for  his  general  good  character.  He 
was  a  fine  writer  and  a  favourite  of  the  emperor 
Trajan.  He  died  A.  D.  113.  During  the 
third  general  persecution  he  was  governor 
of  Bithynia,  and  wrote  to  Trajan  the  following 
letter : 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  49 

"C.  Plixy  to  the  Emperor  Trajan, 
wishes  health. 

"  Sire  :  It  is  customary  with  me  to  consult 
you  on  every  doubtful  occasion ;  for  where 
my  own  judgment  hesitates,  who  is  more 
competent  to  direct  me  than  yourself  or  to 
instruct  me  where  uninformed?  I  had  no 
occasion  to  be  present  at  the  examination  of 
the  Christians  before  I  came  into  the  pro- 
vince ;  I  am  therefore  ignorant  to  what  extent 
it  is  usual  to  inflict  punishment  or  urge  prose- 
cution. I  have  also  hesitated  whether  there 
should  not  be  some  distinction  between  the 
young  and  the  old,  the  tender  and  the  robust ; 
whether  pardon  should  not  be  offered  to  re- 
pentance, or  whether  the  guilt  of  an  avowed 
profession  of  Christianity  can  be  expiated  by 
the  most  unequivocal  retraction ;  whether  the 
profession  itself  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  crime, 
however  innocent  in  other  respects  the 
prisoner  may  be;  or  whether  the  crimes 
attached  to  the  name  must  be  proved  before 
they  are  made  liable  to  punishment. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  the  method  I  have  pur- 

5 


50  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

sued  with  the  Christians  who  have  been 
accused  as  such  has  been  this.  I  interro- 
gated them,  Are  you  Christians?  If  they 
affirmed,  I  put  the  same  question  a  second 
and  a  third  time,  menacing  them  with  the 
punishment  decreed.  If  they  still  persisted, 
I  ordered  them  to  be  immediately  executed ; 
for  I  did  not  doubt,  whatever  was  the  nature 
of  their  religion,  that  such  stubbornness  and 
obstinacy  certainly  deserved  punishment. 
Some  that  were  afflicted  with  this  madness, 
because  they  were  Roman  citizens,  I  reserved 
to  be  sent  to  Rome,  to  be  tried  at  your  tri- 
bunal. 

"  In  the  discussion  of  this  matter,  accusations 
multiplying,  a  diversity  of  cases  occurred.  A 
list  of  names  was  sent  me  by  an  unknown 
accuser,  but  when  I  cited  the  persons  before 
me,  many  denied  that  they  were  or  ever  had 
been  Christians ;  and  they  repeated  after  me 
an  invocation  of  the  gods  and  of  your  image, 
which  for  this  purpose  I  had  ordered  to  be 
brought  with  the  statues  of  the  deities.  They 
burned  incense  and  offered  libations  of  wine 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  51 

to  the  gods,  and  blasphemed  Christ ;  none  of 
which  things,  I  am  assured,  a  real  Christian 
can  ever  be  compelled  to  do.  Others,  named 
by  an  informer,  at  first  acknowledged  them- 
selves, and  then  denied  it,  declaring  that 
though  they  had  been  Christians,  they  had 
renounced  their  profession  some  three  years 
ago,  others  still  longer,  and  some  even  twenty 
years  ago.  All  these  worshipped  your  image 
and  the  statues  of  the  gods,  and  execrated 
Christ. 

"  And  this  was  the  account  they  gave  me  of 
the  nature  of  the  religion  they  once  had  pro- 
fessed, whether  it  deserves  the  name  of  crime 
or  error :  namely,  that  they  were  accustomed 
on  a  certain  day  to  assemble  before  day,  and 
to  join  in  singing  hymns  to  Christ  as  God ; 
binding  themselves  as  with  a  solemn  oath  not 
to  commit  any  kind  of  wickedness  ;  to  be 
guilty  neither  of  theft,  robbery  nor  adultery ; 
never  to  break  a  promise  nor  to  defraud  any 
man.  Their  worship  being  ended,  it  was 
their  custom  to  separate,  and  meet  together 
again  for  a  repast,  promiscuous  indeed,  and 


52  MAETYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

without  any  distinction  of  rank  or  sex,  but 
without  any  act  of  evil ;  and  even  from  this 
they  deserted  since  the  publication  of  my 
edict,  in  which,  agreeably  to  your  orders,  I 
forbade  any  societies  of  that  sort. 

"For  further  information  I  thought  it  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  come  at  the  truth,  to  put  to 
the  torture  two  maidens.  But  I  could  extort 
from  them  nothing  but  the  acknowledgment 
of  an  immoderate  superstition ;  and  therefore 
desisting  from  further  investigation,  I  deter- 
mined to  consult  you ;  especially  as  the  num- 
ber of  those  who  were  in  danger  from  your 
decree  was  great.  Informations  are  pouring 
in  against  multitudes  of  every  age,  of  all 
orders  and  of  both  sexes ;  and  more  will  be 
accused,  for  this  infection  has  crept  not  only 
into  cities  but  also  into  villages,  and  even 
into  farm-houses.  Yet  I  think  it  may  be 
checked ;  for  in  many  places  the  temples  of 
the  gods,  once  almost  desolate,  now  begin  to 
be  frequented,  and  from  every  quarter  they 
bring  sacrifices  to  be  sold,  whereas  formerly 
very  few  were  found  willing  to  buy  them. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  53 

From  this  I  infer  that  many  might  be  re- 
claimed if  time  and  space  were  given  them, 
and  the  hope  of  pardon  on  their  repentance 
absolutely  confirmed." 

5* 


54  MAETYKS  AND  SUFFERERS 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE  KEPZY,   WITS  JREFIECTIONS. 

TO  this  letter  Trajan  replied: 
"My  Dear  Pliny:  You  have  done 
perfectly  right  in  managing  as  you  have  the 
matters  which  relate  to  the  impeachment  of 
the  Christians.  No  one  general  rule  can  be 
laid  down  which  will  apply  to  all  cases. 
These  people  are  not  to  be  hunted  up  by  in- 
formers, but  if  accused  and  convicted,  let 
them  be  executed ;  yet  with  this  restriction, 
that  if  any  renounce  the  profession  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  give  proof  of  it  by  offering  suppli- 
cations to  our  gods,  however  suspicious  their 
conduct  may  have  been,  they  shall  be  par- 
doned. But  anonymous  accusations  should 
never  be  heeded,  since  it  would  be  establish- 
ing a  precedent  of  the  worst  kind,  and  alto- 
gether inconsistent  with  the  maxims  of  my 
government." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  55 

Pliny's  letter  and  the  emperor's  reply  call 
for  a  few  remarks  : 

1.  The  enmity  of  the  human  heart  against 
God  and  his  people  is  exceedingly  dreadful. 
It  balks  at  nothing.  It  is  the  same  from 
age  to  age.  It  knows  no  bounds.  In  the 
populace  it  assumes  the  form  of  brutal  rage ; 
in  the  unprincipled  it  breaks  out  in  clandes- 
tine informations;  in  the  philosophic  and 
generally  humane  it  still  persecutes  even  unto 
death.  It  is  a  deadly  malice,  a  mortal  hatred, 
seeking  the  utter  extinction  of  true  religion 
from  the  face  of  the  earth.  All  infidels  are 
in  inclination  pagans  and  persecutors.  Because 
the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  it  is 
enmity  against  all  that  is  called  by  his  name 
or  shows  forth  his  glory,  or  preserves  alive 
the  memory  of  his  being,  wisdom,  power, 
holiness,  justice,  goodness,  truth  and  mercy. 
Its  malice  rages  no  less  against  a  youth  or  a 
woman  than  against  one  of  the  stronger  sex 
and  in  the  prime  of  life.  It  despises  the 
ties  of  nature,  the  bonds  of  affection.  Jesus 
said  it  should  be  so.    Matt.  x.  21,  22 ;  xxiv. 


56  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

9-13;  Luke  xxi.  16,  17.  Good  men  need 
trials,  and  therefore  feel  no  surprise  at  out- 
bursts of  popular  rage,  nor  at  the  schemes  of 
cruel  and  cunning  politicians  for  tormenting 
the  saints.  The  ignorance  and  fierceness  of 
the  ungodly  would  swallow  up  all  piety  in  a 
day  if  it  were  possible. 

2.  While  a  hypocritical  pretence  to  piety, 
or  a  mere  form  of  religion  without  its  power, 
frequently  passes  unreproved,  it  is  not  possi- 
ble for  true  vital  godliness  to  escape  the 
scorn  or  even  bitter  resentments  of  the 
wicked.  A  good  confession  of  Christ  is, 
after  all,  the  greatest  offence  one  can  offer  to 
a  gainsaying  world. 

"  I  asked  them,  Are  you  Christians  ?  If 
they  avowed  it,  I  put  the  same  question  a 
second  and  a  third  time ;  if  they  persisted,  I 
ordered  them  to  be  immediately  executed," 
says  Pliny;  and  Trajan  says,  "  You  have  done 
perfectly  right."  The  offence  of  the  cross  has 
not  ceased.  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  is 
the  greatest  crime  man  can  commit  in  the 
eyes  of  the  ungodly  and  unsanctified.    It  was, 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  57 

and  again  may  be,  a  "  capital  offence  for  any 
one  to  avow  himself  a  Christian." 

3.  It  is  clear,  from  this  letter  and  from 
many  monuments  of  antiquity,  that  in  less 
than  a  century  after  the  death  of  Christ  his 
doctrine  was  extensively  embraced  and  his 
followers  were  very  numerous.  The  temples 
in  Bithynia  had  become  "  almost  desolate." 
Victims  had  nearly  ceased  to  be  brought 
thither  for  the  want  of  purchasers. 

While  things  went  thus  in  one  region,  in 
Syria  the  spread  of  the  truth  seems  to  have 
been  no  less  rapid.  In  a  letter  to  Trajan,  the 
governor  Tiberianus  says :  "  I  am  quite 
wearied  with  punishing  and  destroying,  accord- 
ing to  your  order,  the  Galileans,  or  those  of 
the  sect  called  Christians.  Yet  they  never 
cease  to  profess  voluntarily  what  they  are, 
and  to  offer  themselves  to  death.  Where- 
fore I  have  laboured,  by  extortions  and  threats, 
to  discourage  them  from  daring  to  confess  to 
me  that  they  are  of  that  sect.  Yet,  in  spite 
of  all  persecution,  they  continue  still  to  do  it." 
Indeed,  from   the   beginning  of  the   second 


58  MAETYES   AND  SUFFEEEES 

century  to  the  time  of  Constantino,  the  simple 
withdrawal  of  the  Christians  from  the  empire 
would  have  left  a  "  a  hideous  gap,"  an  awful 
desolation,  not  only  in  some  inconsiderable 
places,  but  in  many  famous  cities  and  prov- 
inces. God's  word  ran  very  swiftly.  Even 
in  Paul's  time  "  their  sound  went  into  all  the 
earth,  and  their  words  unto  the  ends  of  the 
world."  Rom.  x.  18. 

4.  Idolatry  and  true  religion  can  never  be 
reconciled.  Fire  and  water  are  not  more 
opposed.  Idolatry  stops  at  nothing.  It 
addresses  religious  homage  not  only  to  gods 
many,  supposed  to  be  in  heaven,  but  to  bulls 
and  cats  and  onions  on  earth.  Not  only  the 
image  of  Jupiter,  but  the  image  of  Trajan, 
must  be  worshipped.  It  multiplies  the  sor- 
rows of  all  who  hasten  after  it.  It  murders 
not  only  its  enemies,  but  also  its  friends. 
Against  such  a  system  pure  religion  and 
undefiled  must  be  antagonistic.  It  denounces 
all  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of  the  most 
solemn  rites  of  heathenism.  It  is  utterly 
opposite  to  its  doctrines,  its   morals  and  its 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  59 

worship.  The  two  can  never  agree.  They 
are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other.  Modern 
idolatry  in  power  does  as  ancient  idolatry 
practiced.  It  is  as  cruel  and  as  devilish  in 
Madagascar  in  the  nineteenth  century  as  in 
Rome  in  the  first  or  second  century. 

5.  We  should  not  be  surprised  at  apostasies. 
They  are  no  novelty.  The  trials  of  successive 
ages  vary  in  their  form,  sometimes  being 
seductive  and  sometimes  terrific,  but  poor 
human  nature,  if  left  to  itself,  can  resist  none 
of  the  assaults  of  the  wicked.  Seduction  is 
often  more  potent  than  persecution.  Demas 
seems  to  have  withstood  the  latter,  but  to  have 
been  overcome  by  the  former.  False  brethren 
have  been  found  in  the  church  in  all  ages. 
An  apostle  thus  explains  the  whole  matter  of 
wilful  apostasy :  "  They  went  out  from  us, 
but  they  were  not  of  us ;  for  if  they  had  been 
of  us  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued 
with  us :  but  they  went  out,  that  they  might 
be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all  of 
us."  1  John  ii.  19.  In  every  age  apostasies 
have  occurred.    There  have  always  been  men 


60  MAETYES  AND  SUFFEEEES 

who  wished  to  wear  the  crown,  but  could  not 
bear  the  cross.  "  It  is  no  new  thing  for  men 
to  desert  the  profession  of  the  truth,  to  which 
they  have  formerly  appeared  to  be  attached, 
through  the  fear  of  man  or  the  love  of  the 
world." 

6.  Pliny's  letter  shows  that  from  the  first 
Christianity  was,  as  it  is  now,  a  pure  system, 
and  was  so  understood  by  those  who  heartily 
embraced  it.  Even  torture  could  produce 
nothing  to  the  damage  of  the  blameless  lives 
of  the  early  Christians.  They  never  com- 
mitted theft,  fraud  or  adultery.  Their  word 
was  sacred.  They  never  denied  a  trust. 
Such  fruits  heathenism  had  never  borne. 
They  are  the  product  of  Christian  morals. 
Blessed  are  those  professed  followers  of  Christ 
who  by  well-doing  put  to  silence  the  ignorance 
of  foolish  men,  and  against  whom  the  enemy 
can  say  nothing  evil  unless  he  say  it  falsely. 
Even  apostates  themselves  said  nothing  worse 
of  the  character  and  doings  of  Christians  than 
that  one  could  not  continue  in  good  standing 
among  them  unless  he  led  a  holy  life. 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  61 

7.  It  also  appears  that  the  early  Christians 
were  of  a  quiet  spirit,  and  even  gave  up  for 
a  time  their  public  meetings  in  the  day-time 
when  they  were  by  edict  forbidden.  They 
wrould  not  have  their  good  evil  spoken  of. 
They  quietly  met  before  day,  that  they  might 
not  disturb  the  peace  of  neighbourhoods.  And 
although  they  were  so  numerous  that  they 
could  have  made  successful  resistance  by  the 
sword,  they  never  once  resorted  to  violence, 
even  in  self-protection. 

8.  From  earliest  ages  the  divinity  of  Christ 
has  been  a  fundamental  doctrine  received  by 
all  true  Christians.  The  martyrs  and  confes- 
sors sung  "  hymns  to  Christ  as  God."  They 
received  him  as  their  Lord,  and  worshipped 
him.  This  was  the  secret  of  all  their  power 
and  intrepidity.  Never  would  they  have 
joyously  died  for  Christ  if  he  had  not  been 
to  them  all  in  all,  the  chiefest  among  ten 
thousand,  the  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  Mighty 
God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  and  the  Prince 
of  peace.  They  worshipped  him  because 
they  knew  that  as  God  he  was  with  them, 

6 


62  MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

even   where  two  or   three   were  met  in   his 
name. 

9.  In  yielding  their  civil  and  social  rights 
Christians  may  often  go  far,  but  they  cannot 
yield  their  convictions — they  cannot  surrender 
their  consciences.  The  governor  and  his 
creatures  thought  they  required  but  little 
when  they  called  on  the  Christians  to  repeat  a 
few  words  of  invocation  to  an  image  or  to 
throw  a  little  incense  on  the  fire ;  but  there 
was  principle  involved.  Good  men  could  die 
for  Jesus,  but  they  could  not  sacrifice  or  pray 
to  idols.  The  dictates  of  conscience,  enlight- 
ened by  the  word  of  God,  cannot  and  ought 
not  to  be  unheeded.  We  must  obey  God 
rather  than  men. 

10.  There  are  many  reasons  why  Christian- 
ity is  unpopular.  One  is,  that  it  inflexibly 
maintains  the  unity  of  God,  1  Tim.  iv.  10 : 
"Therefore  we  both  labour  and  suffer  re- 
proach, because  we  trust  in  the  living  God." 
Another  is,  that  its  author  was  hanged  upon  a 
tree,  1  Cor.  i.  23.  Another  is  that  it  spares 
no  sin,  no  lust,  but  demands  self-denial  and 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  63 

holiness  of  all,  Matt.  xvi.  24;  xii.  11;  1  Pet. 
i.  15.  Another  is  that  it  denies  the  possibil- 
ity of  salvation  by  any  works  or  merits  of 
the  sinner  himself;  but  points  him  to  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  as  the  sole  and  suffi- 
cient  ground  of  acceptance  with  God,  Rom. 
ill.  20 ;  Gal.  ii.  16  ;  Rom.  x.  4.  To  all  these 
we  must  add  that  Christianity  has  always 
been  exclusive,  and  has  denied  fraternity  to 
any  and  every  form  of  idolatry  and  of  false  re- 
ligion. This  is  but  carrying  out  in  their  true 
import  the  precepts  of  the  first  table  of  the 
law.  The  same  objection  was  made  to  pure 
Judaism.  Celsus  tells  the  whole  story  :  "  If 
the  Jews,  on  these  accounts,  adhere  to  their 
own  law,  it  is  not  for  that  they  are  to  blame ; 
I  rather  blame  those  who  forsake  the  religion 
of  their  own  country  to  embrace  the  Jewish. 
But  if  these  people  give  themselves  airs  of 
sublimer  wisdom  than  the  rest  of  the  world, 
and  on  that  score  refuse  all  communion  with 
it  as  not  equally  pure,  I  must  tell  them  that 
it  is  not  to  be  believed  that  they  are  more 
dear  or  agreeable  to  God  than  other  nations." 


64  MAETYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

Had  the  Christians  merely  proposed  their 
creed  as  one  of  many  systems  which  might 
be  advantageously  followed,  and  their  Sa- 
viour as  one  of  many  whose  favour  might  be 
supplicated,  they  would  have  incurred  very 
little  odium.  It  was  the  fact  that  their  sys- 
tem claimed  an  exclusive  divine  origin,  and 
regulated  their  conduct  accordingly,  that 
made  Tacitus,  when  he  wrote  of  the  burning 
of  Rome,  call  Christians  "  persons  convicted 
of  hatred  to  all  mankind."  He  and  thou- 
sands believed  that  it  was  a  higher  proof  of 
love  to  let  your  neighbour  alone  in  his  sins, 
and  to  fraternize  with  him  in  his  false  wor- 
ship, than  it  was  to  tell  him  the  truth,  give 
him  faithful  warning  and  refuse  to  be  a  par- 
taker of  his  abominable  idolatries. 

11.  The  world  has  never  understood  the 
real  principles  and  motives  of  God's  people. 
Even  Trajan  and  Pliny,  with  all  their  natu- 
ral good  sense  and  fine  talents,  misunderstood 
their  whole  character  and  behaviour.  Stern 
and  unbending  integrity  is  commonly  ad- 
mitted to  be  a  fine  quality.     Close  adherence 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  65 

to  our  enlightened  convictions  of  right  ought 
to  command  respect  and  even  admiration. 
But  the  steadiness  of  the  early  Christians  in 
adhering  to  their  Master  and  his  cause  was 
regarded  as  a  crime  worthy  of  death.  "I 
was  persuaded,"  says  Pliny,  "  whatever  the 
nature  of  their  opinions  might  be,  a  contu- 
macious and  inflexible  obstinacy  certainly 
merited  correction."  And  Trajan  tells  him 
he  judged  right.  So  they  wrapped  it  up. 
If  we  may  call  all  zeal,  madness ;  all  princi- 
ple, absurdity ;  all  firmness,  contumacy  ;  and 
all  intrepidity,  rashness  and  obstinacy,  we  can 
be  at  no  loss  for  grounds  on  which  to  con- 
demn all  goodness  on  earth.  The  same  blind- 
ness and  perverseness  which  kept  the  world 
from  rightly  judging  respecting  Christ  him- 
self, perpetuate  false  judgments  respecting  his 
people.  Acts  iii.  17;  1  John  iii.  1.  "The 
world  knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew  him 
not."  This  blindness  is  not  the  less  criminal 
because  it  is  natural,  universal,  and  by  human 
wit  and  power  invincible.  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  Car- 
nal men  cannot  understand  spiritual  things, 

6* 


66  MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

cannot    rightly   estimate   holy   motives   and 
principles. 

12.  It  is  common  for  the  wicked  to  perse- 
cute the  righteous  under  false  pretences — to 
find  pretexts  in  something  foreign  from  the 
Christian  life  and  character.  There  is  as 
much  difference  between  firmness  and  obsti- 
nacy, between  fortitude  and  contumacy,  as 
there  is  between  light  and  darkness,  between 
vice  and  virtue.  Because  the  Christians 
could  not  defile  their  consciences  they  were 
said  to  have  the  very  spirit  of  rebellion 
against  political  authority.  Then  too  they 
were  held  answerable  for  all  the  public  calami- 
ties that  befel  the  empire.  Tertullian  says, 
"  If  the  city  be  besieged,  if  anything  happen 
ill  in  the  fields,  in  the  garrisons,  in  the  lands, 
immediately  they  cry  out,  'Tis  because  of 
the  Christians.  Our  enemies  thirst  after  the 
blood  of  the  innocent,  cloaking  their  hatred 
with  this  silly  pretence,  that  the  Christians 
are  the  cause  of  all  public  calamities.  If  the 
Tiber  flows  up  to  the  walls ;  if  the  Nile  does 
not  overflow  the  field ;  if  the  heavens  alter 


FOR   THE    TRUTH.  67 

their  course;  if  there  be  an  earthquake,  a 
famine,  a  plague,  immediately  the  cry  is, 
Away  with  the  Christians  to  the  lions."  The 
favourite  slanderous  charge  against  God's 
people  is,  that  they  are  disaffected  toward  the 
government,  because  they  announce  unwel- 
come but  seasonable  truths,  because  they 
stand  aloof  from  the  fury  of  the  masses,  or 
dissent  from  the  foolish  and  wicked  course  of 
those  in  power.  Thus  of  Jeremiah  it  was 
said,  "  Thou  fallest  away  to  the  Chaldeans/' 
Jer.  xxxvii.  13.  Thus  Amaziah  sent  to 
Jeroboam,  king  of  Israel,  saying :  "Amos  hath 
conspired  against  thee  in  the  midst  of  the 
house  of  Israel :  the  land  is  not  able  to  hear 
all  his  words."  Amos  vii.  10.  Thus  men 
accused  Christ  and  his  apostles.  Pretences 
are  never  wanting  to  wicked  and  bloody  men. 
They  know  that  nothing  is  more  odious 
than  unfaithfulness  in  the  civil  relations  of 
life ;  and  when  they  lack  all  true  ground  of 
accusation  in  this  behalf,  they  invent  some 
story,  or  frame  some  law,  or  devise  some 
test  which  good  men  abhor,  that  in  some  way 


68  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

they  may  enrage  the  populace,  prejudice 
rulers  and  have  their  spite  on  the  objects  of 
their  murderous  malice,  their  diabolical  envy, 
13.  It  would  be  well,  even  in  Christian 
countries,  if  all  in  authority  would  so  far  fol- 
low the  example  of  Trajan  as  to  refuse  to  pay 
attention  to  anonymous  accusers,  frown  from 
their  presence  malignant  and  unprincipled 
slanderers,  and,  instead  of  hunting  up  informers 
and  maligners,  would  cast  the  shield  of  public 
law  over  all  well-disposed  and  quiet  people 
who  obey  all  the  laws  and  quietly  mind 
their  own  business. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  G9 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

A  MODERN  MARTYR. 

MODERN  civilization  has  been  sadly  dis- 
graced by  both  the  spirit  and  practice 
of  persecution.  At  the  close  of  this  book 
will  be  found  a  short  list  of  books  where  may 
be  found  full  accounts  of  these  awful  tragedies. 
One  is  here  given  as  a  sample  of  what  human 
and  diabolical  malice  will  do,  as  also  of  what 
divine  grace  can  enable  its  subject  to  accom- 
plish. The  intelligent  will  not  wonder  at  the 
selection  of 

JOHN  BRADFORD. 

This  faithful  and  eminent  servant  of  Christ 
fell  a  victim  to  the  malice  and  bigotry  of 
Bloody  Mary  of  England.  She  determined 
to  establish  popery  in  her  dominions  at  any 
cost. 


70  MAETYKS   AND   SUFFEKERS 

So  powerful  a  preacher  was  he,  and  so 
desirous  was  the  infamous  Bonner,  bishop  of 
London,  to  induce  him  to  return  to  the 
Romish  Church,  that  more  pains  were  taken 
with  him  and  more  patience  exercised  than 
with  any.  other  professor  of  the  Reformed 
faith. 

But  the  attempt  was  vain.  Bradford  held 
fast  his  confidence  and  the  rejoicing  of  his 
hope,  and  in  January,  1555,  after  being  in 
prison  eighteen  months,  he  was  tried  for  his 
refusal  to  submit  to  Romanism  before  Gardi- 
ner, Bonner  and  others,  and  condemned  to 
the  stake.  He  was  kept  in  prison  till  July 
following.  It  was  not  intended  to  give  him 
any  notice  of  the  day  fixed  for  his  death. 
"  As  he  was  walking  in  the  keeper's  chamber 
with  John  Leof,  who  suffered  with  him,  sud- 
denly/' says  Fox,  "  the  keeper's  wife  came 
up  as  one  amazed,  and  seeming  much  troubled, 
being  almost  breathless,  said,  '  Oh,  Mr.  Brad- 
ford, I  come  to  bring  you  heavy  news.'  i  What 
is  that  ?'  said  he.  i  To-morrow,'  she  replied, 
'you  must  be  burned.'"     This  was  sudden 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  71 

indeed,  but  it  did  not  take  him  at  unawares. 
Fox  adds,  "With  that,  Mr.  Bradford  put  off 
his  cap,  and  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
said,  '  I  thank  God  for  it.  I  have  looked  for 
the  same  a  long  time,  and  therefore  it  cometh 
not  to  me  now  suddenly,  but  as  a  thing  waited 
for  every  day  and  hour ;  the  Lord  make  me 
worthy  thereof.' " 

Accordingly,  next  morning,  he  and  young 
Leof  were  early  led  forth,  a  multitude  throng- 
ing the  way,  who  sympathized  deeply  with 
them ;  and  some  near  relatives,  who  pressed 
forward  to  shake  hands  with  and  give  a 
parting  blessing  to  Bradford,  were  brutally 
used  by  the  sheriff  and  his  assistants. 

When  they  came  to  the  stake  in  Smithfield, 
they  laid  themselves  down  on  the  ground,  "one 
on  one  side  of  it,  the  other  on  the  other,  pray- 
ing to  themselves  the  space  of  a  minute;"  in 
this  they  were  interrupted  by  one  of  the 
sheriffs  crying  to  them,  "  Arise,  make  an  end, 
for  the  press  of  people  is  great." 

They  rose,  and  Bradford  taking  a  fagot  in 
his  hand,  kissed  it  and  also  the  stake.     He 


72  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

then  requested  that  his  clothes  might  be 
given  to  his  servant,  for  he  had  nothing  else 
to  give  him.  He  put  off  his  upper  garment 
and  went  to  the  stake,  saying,  "  O  England, 
England !  repent  thee  of  thy  sins,  repent  thee 
of  thy  sins  !"  He  was  stopped  by  the  sheriff 
threatening  to  tie  his  hands  if  he  would  not 
be  quiet.  Turning  to  the  people,  he  asked 
forgiveness  of  all,  as  he  forgave  all,  and 
besought  them  to  pray  for  him  and  his  fellow- 
sufferer,  to  whom  he  said,  "  Be  of  good  com- 
fort, brother,  for  we  shall  have  a  merry  sup- 
per w7ith  the  Lord  this  night."  Embracing 
the  dry  rods  that  were  bundled  round  him, 
he  cried,  "  Strait  is  the  way  and  narrow  the 
gate  that  leadeth  to  eternal  salvation,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it."  Fire  was  set  to  the 
pile,  and  two  precious  lives  were  taken  away. 
Thus  these  holy  men  went  up  to  glory  in 
a  chariot  of  fire. 


FOR    THE   TRUTH.  73 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

R02TAXISJT   IX  R03IE. 

BY  A.  B.  C. 

AX  inside  view  of  Romanism  is  not  easily 
obtained,  even  at  the  metropolis  of  the 
papal  empire.  There  are  so  many  gates 
that  are  kept  closed  to  a  Protestant,  and  so 
many  doors  not  easily  opened  to  him ;  there 
are  so  much  glare  of  gold  and  glitter  of  tin- 
selry  on  the  outside,  and  so  many  charms  of 
music  and  fascinations  of  art ;  so  much  stained 
glass  and  "dim  religious  light,"  that  between 
the  dazzle  and  the  darkness  I  began  to  fear 
lest  my  eyes  might  be  so  blinded  as  to  be  of 
small  use  to  me. 

But  I  rubbed  them   a   little   and  bathed 
them  in  the  clear  water  of  the  Divine  "Word, 
and,  aided  by  my  historical  glass,  I  soon  be- 
7 


74  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

gan  to  see  more  plainly,  and  to  survey  the 
Scarlet  Lady  in  her  interior  character  as  well 
as  external  attractions. 

I  do  not  wonder  that  a  superstitious,  en- 
thusiastic, voluptuous  people  should  be  Ro- 
man Catholic  there  at  Rome — that  any  one, 
almost,  should  be  with  whom  a  taste  for  the 
fine  arts  transcends  a  love  of  the  truth  as  it 
is  in  Jesus.  Nor  yet  do  I  wonder  that  ro- 
mantic girls  and  imaginative,  would-be-poetic 
boys,  on  whom  gospel  truth  has  no  firm  hold, 
charmed  by  the  free  notions  of  this  earthly  en- 
chantress, and  the  exalted  ideas  of  antiquity, 
authority  and  infallibility  which  she  incul- 
cates, should  be  caught  in  the  sweep  of  her 
rustling  drapery. 

All  that  art  and  wealth,  all  that  dress  and 
drapery  can  do,  has  been  done  for  the  Romish 
Church.  It  is  vain,  as  well  as  sinful,  for 
Protestants  to  enter  the  lists  with  her  as 
rivals  in  these  things.  She  has  the  advan- 
tage of  accumulated  treasures  and  of  a  thou- 
sand years'  experience,  and  they  cannot  suc- 
cessfully compete  with  her.     Their  only  hope 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  75 

ifi  in  the  counter-principles — simplicity,  sin- 
cerity and  truth.  Light  is  more  powerful 
than  darkness,  sincerity  is  mightier  than 
ceremony — the  Bible  than  the  breviary. 

In  its  principles  and  pretensions  the  Romish 
Church  is  to-day  very  much  what  it  was  five 
hundred  years  ago.  It  is  niediseval  still. 
Its  organization  is  even  more  complete  now 
than  it  was  then,  though  relatively  much 
feebler. 

Two  features  impressed  me  very  strongly 
in  my  study  of  the  papacy  at  Rome : 

Its  three  peculiar  principles  and  its  five 
chief  institutions. 

These  give  the  clew  to  the  exclusiveness, 
intolerance  and  persecution  which  for  a 
thousand  years  have  marked  the  history  of 
Romanism. 

Of  its  principles,  that  which  lies  at  the 
foundation  is  its  claim  to  be  the  only  catholic 
and  apostolic  Church,  and  that  salvation  is 
not  possible  out  of  its  pale.  The  practical 
inference  from  this  assumption  is,  that  it  is 
nearly  impossible  for  one  to  fail  of  salvation 


76  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

who  is  in  it.  This  principle,  so  sweepingly 
exclusive,  necessarily  makes  the  Romish 
Church  intolerant  and  persecuting.  It  places 
her  in  direct  and  positive  opposition  to  every 
other  organization  that  claims  to  be  a  Church. 
And,  the  more  fully  its  members  accept  this 
fundamental  dogma  of  Romanism,  the  more 
likely  are  they  to  regard  all  means  as  lawful 
for  extending  the  one  and  for  exterminating 
the  others. 

The  worth  of  the  soul,  and  the  importance 
of  its  salvation,  serve  only,  on  this  principle, 
to  intensify  their  zeal  as  proselyters.  The 
Church  of  Rome,  to  them,  is  the  only  form 
of  Christianity  and  the  only  way  of  salvation. 
The  hope  of  the  world  is  here,  and  there  is 
none  for  it  anywhere  else.  Nothing  is  of 
such  moment  as  the  extension  of  this  Church, 
and  the  extermination  of  whatever  co-ordi- 
nate claimants  stand  in  its  way.  For  men  to 
be  deluded  by  these  rival  organisms  is  cer- 
tain and  eternal  ruin.  Where  the  Church  of 
Rome  is  not,  there  ignorance,  error  and  all 
vices  and  crimes   abound,  and  moral  death 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  77 

broods  over  men.  But  where  its  influence  is 
unrestrained  all  these  have  gradually  disap- 
peared, and  the  light  of  science,  of  truth,  and 
of  eternal  life  have  come  most  benignly  to 
shine. 

In  this  false  faith  bigotry  seizes  and  incar- 
cerates its  victims  and  confiscates  their  prop- 
erty. Fanaticism  lights  its  fagots  and  fans 
its  fires  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  diffu- 
sion of  the  gospel. 

In  an  important  sense  the  Church  is  a  vast 
moral  power.  This  is  the  truth  contained  in 
this  Romish  error,  and  is  the  source  of  its 
influence.  But  the  Romish  Church  is  not  the 
Church,  either  exclusively  or  par  excellence. 
The  assumption  of  this  is  its  error  and  the 
cause  of  its  moral  weakness.  Falsehood  is 
always  weak,  and  must  fail  when  truth  fairly 
confronts  it. 

Another  of  those  peculiar  principles  is  its 
claim  to  temporal  'power. 

Christ  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world."  The  Pope  says,  "  3Fine  is."  The 
Master  gave  to   Peter  the  "keys,"  but  his 


78  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

reputed  successor  in  the  episcopal  chair  has 
taken  the  sword  also.  Pope  Pius  IX.,  in 
his  last  encyclical  letter,  says  that  "  the 
apostolic  see  is  based  on  the  temporal 
power."  He  classes  the  idea  that  "  the  ces- 
sation of  the  temporal  power  would  con- 
tribute to  the  happiness  and  liberty  of  the 
Church"  among  the  principal  errors  of  the 
times  to  be  condemned  and  punished.  And 
the  grand  council  of  two  hundred  and  forty- 
five  bishops,  archbishops  and  patriarchs, 
which  assembled  in  Rome  in  1862,  "  affirm 
that  the  temporal  sovereignty  of  the  holy 
see  is  a  necessity,  and  that  it  has  been  estab- 
lished by  the  manifest  design  of  Providence." 
Therefore  it  must  by  all  means  be  retained. 

This  necessity  looks  beyond  the  Church  as 
a  "pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth"  to  a 
purely  political  force.  As  a  spiritual  organism, 
she  can  execute  only  spiritual  pains  and 
penalties.  But  by  her  temporal  sovereignty, 
and  through  the  political  powers  she  controls, 
those  who  fall  under  her  ban  as  heretics  are 
executed  as  criminals.     By  this  double  action 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  79 

of  the  Church,  the  State  has  long  played  the 
part  of  her  menial.  The  pope  has  raised  up 
kings  and  princes  and  cast  them  down  again 
at  his  pleasure — has  absolved  their  subjects 
from  fealty  and  bound  them  to  it,  irrespective 
of  the  will  of  either  subjects  or  rulers.  Power- 
ful monarchs  have  bowed  at  his  gate,  abjectly 
begging  for  the  uplifting  from  them  of  his 
oppressive  hand.  He  has  fomented  wars  and 
declared  peace.  He  has  made  treaties  and 
violated  them,  enthroned  kings  and  dethroned 
them,  levied  taxes,  raised  armies,  established 
arsenals,  built  fortresses  and  supported  navies. 
But  why  does  this  chief  feeder  of  Christ's 
flock  need  these  temporal  powers  and  this 
enginery  of  war?  "  For  the  good  of  the 
Church  and  the  free  government  of  souls," 
say  the  two  hundred  and  forty-five  chief 
papal  dignitaries.  "  We  do  not  hesitate  to 
declare  that,  in  the  present  state  of  human 
affairs,  this  temporal  sovereignty  is  absolutely 
requisite  for  the  good  of  the  Church  and  the  free 
government  of  souls !" — by  fires  and  fagots, 
by  imprisonment  and    tortures,    by   gibbets 


80  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

and  the  gallows,  by  confiscations  and  auto 
da  fes ! 

But  did  Christ,  or  did  Peter,  claimed  as 
the  first  pope,  possess  or  feel  the  need  of  this 
temporal  power  ?  Or  did  any  of  his  succes- 
sors at  Rome  for  five  hundred  years  possess 
it  ?  And  how  was  this  power  gained  ?  His- 
tory answers — her  own  history.  Gradually 
and  through  successive  popedoms,  by  chica- 
nery, by  simony,  by  fraudulent  deeds  of  con- 
veyance and  false  titles,  by  extortion,  by 
wars  and  bloodshed. 

And  how  has  this  triple-crowned  monarch 
used  this  temporal  sovereignty  ?  In  hunting 
and  harassing,  for  nearly  a  thousand  years, 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High  who  have  dis- 
sented from  his  dictum  or  doubted  the  dog- 
mas of  the  cardinals;  by  persecuting  the 
Cathari,  the  Lollards,  the  Begards,  the  Wal- 
denses,  the  Albigenses,  the  Wickliffites  and 
the  Bohemians ;  by  pursuing  unto  death  the 
Reformers  in  Holland  and  Hungary,  in  France, 
in  Germany  and  in  England,  both  Lutherans 
and  Calvinists. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  81 

Iii  1572,  on  St.  Bartholomew's  eve,  in  the 
reign  of  Charles  IX.,  the  Protestants  were 
decoyed  by  the  royal  oath  of  safety  to  a  wed- 
ding festival  in  Paris.  The  queen  dowager  of 
Navarre  was  there  perfidiously  poisoned, 
Admiral  Coligny  treacherously  assassinated, 
and  ten  thousand  Protestants — brave  men, 
delicate  women  and  helpless  children — fell 
victims  to  the  ruthless  slaughter  of  a  brutal 
soldiery.  From  Paris  the  furor  extended  to 
the  chief  cities  of  the  kingdom,  and  from  fifty 
thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand  of  the  purest 
and  noblest  fell  in  this  relentless  massacre.  And 
when  the  news  of  this  horrible  carnage  reached 
Gregory  XIII.,  the  cannon  of  St.  Angelo 
belched  out  the  public  joy,  and  bonfires 
illumined  the  papal  city.  A  thanksgiving 
mass  was  performed  in  St.  Mark's  Church, 
and  a  jubilee  from  this  dark  centre  was  pro- 
claimed throughout  the  Christian  world. 

But  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  even  this 
merciless  butchery  was  far  exceeded  in  infer- 
nal devices — tortures  by  burning-irons,  by 
slew   roasting,  hanging  by  the  feet   and  by 


82  MART  YES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

the  liair  of  the  head,  plunging  into  deep  wells, 
suffocating  with  smoke,  piercing  with  pins, 
starving  and  shooting  down  like  wild  beasts. 
And  Romish  priests  gloated  over  these  outra- 
ges, and  chanted  the  Te  Deum  in  the  midst 
of  them,  and  Gloria  in  Excelsis ! 

"  And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale  horse ; 
and  his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and 
Hell  followed  with  him.  And  power  was 
given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the 
earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger, 
and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the 
earth." 

"  And  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and 
for  the  testimony  which  they  held." 

"  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou 
not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth  ?" 

This  is  the  use  which  the  Romish  Church 
makes  of  her  temporal  power — to  enforce  by 
the  sword  an  external  harmony  where  there 
is   only  internal   discord.     Is   that   a   "free 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  83 

government"  whose  chief  function  is  to  re- 
press free  thought,  free  speech  and  free  wor- 
ship? Is  it  a  government  "for  the  good  of 
souls"  that  closes  up  from  them  God's  word 
of  life — that  compels  them  to  worship  in  a 
dead  language — that  deludes  them  with  "  ly- 
ing wonders,"  and  gives  them  two  mediators 
where  God  has  given  but  one — that  changes 
a  bit  of  bread  into  the  body  of  God,  and  puts 
a  priestly  mass  in  the  place  of  the  divine 
sacrifice  ?  Does  the  good  of  souls  require  a 
sword  in  the  hand  of  the  Church  to  enforce 
these  dicta  upon  unwilling  subjects  ?  Yet  this 
is  theoretic  Romanism  and  systematic  persecu- 
tion. And  this  is  the  philosophy  of  the  whole 
question  of  temporal  sovereignty. 

It  changes  the  great  issue  between  the 
Church  and  the  world.  From  one  of  faith  it 
makes  it,  as  a  finality,  one  of  force.  Christ 
falls  out  of  Christianity  to  make  room  for 
Caesar — the  Church  drops  her  keys  and  grasps 
the  sword.  She  withdraws  the  evangelists 
and  apostles  from  the  conflict,  and  relies  on 
bullets  and  bayonets  as  the  chief  propagators 


84  MARTYRS   AND  SUFFERERS 

and  defenders  of  the  faith.  When  a  Church 
appeals  from  the  Bible  to  bulls  and  bombshells, 
from  arguments  to  arsenals  and  armies,  it 
ceases  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  a  Christian 
Church  and  becomes  a  mere  civil  power,  and, 
for  all  purposes  of  ecclesiastical  rule,  a  perse- 
cuting power. 

It  is  a  third  fundamental  principle  of  the 
Romish  Church,  discovered  by  this  inside  view, 
that  heresy  is  a  crime  punishable  with  death. 

This  is  abundantly  maintained  by  her 
writers  on  criminal  law  and  on  Christian  ethics 
and  theology.  And  it  is  inculcated  in  all 
their  principal  institutions  of  learning  and  by 
all  monastic  orders. 

Cardinal  Bellarmine,  the  best  of  authorities 
on  the  subject,  says : 

"  Heretics  can  justly  be  excommunicated, 
and  therefore  put  to  death.  Knowing  that 
fools  wTill  not  be  wanting  who  may  believe 
them,  and  by  whom  they  may  be  supported, 
if  you  confine  them  in  prison  or  send  them 
into  exile,  they  corrupt  the  neighbourhood  by 
their  speeches  and  looks ;  therefore,  the  only 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  85 

remedy  is  to  send  them  forthwith  to  their  own 
place." 

"  If  the  forgers  of  money,"  says  Aquinas, 
another  of  these  authorities,  "  or  other  male- 
factors, are  justly  consigned  to  immediate 
death  by  the  secular  princes,  much  more  do 
heretics,  immediately  after  they  are  convicted, 
deserve,  not  only  to  be  excommunicated,  but 
also  justly  to  be  killed." 

In  this  third  principle  the  two  former  come 
to  a  practical  point.  It  is  the  keystone  in  the 
arch  of  this  spiritual  despotism.  The  pope, 
as  supreme  in  the  one  only  Church,  holds  the 
power  of  excommunication.  But  as  a  tempo- 
ral sovereign  he  holds  also  the  power  to 
execute  upon  the  excommunicant  whatever 
penalty  is  judged  best  for  the  safety  and 
aggrandizement  of  the  papacy.  This  has 
been  decided  to  be  the  death-penalty.  Here- 
tics ought  to  be  excommunicated  by  the 
spiritual  power  and  put  to  death  by  the  tem- 
poral. But  what  is  heresy  ?  The  pope,  in 
his  encyclical,  answers :  It  is  heresy  to  affirm 
that  "  the  best  condition  of  society  is  that  in 
8 


86  MAETYKS  AND   SUFFERERS 

which  the  power  of  the  laity  is  not  compelled 
to  inflict  the  penalties  of  law  upon  the  vio- 
lators of  the  Catholic  religion,  unless  required 
by  public  safety."  This  is  the  latest  assertion 
of  this  obnoxious,  persecuting  power,  and  by 
the  highest  authority.  It  is  vital  still  in 
Romanism,  and  cannot,  "  except  by  annihila- 
tion, die." 

What  is  this  "power  of  the  laity?"  It  is 
the  temporal  power  of  the  pope.  It  is  the 
power  of  kings  and  all  civil  authorities  and 
states,  that  are,  or  ought  to  be  subject  in  this, 
to  his  rule.  Who  enacts  the  "  law  ?"  The 
pope  and  the  cardinals.  Not  only  at  Rome, 
but  throughout  Italy,  France  and  Spain,  and 
also  in  Protestant  England  and  the  United 
States,  everywhere  and  always,  the  civil 
powers  ought  to  carry  out  the  decrees  of  these 
mitred  ecclesiastics,  and  hang,  burn  or  exile 
the  excommunicants  of  the  Romish  Church, 
not  as  bad  subjects,  but  as  violators  of  the 
Catholic  religion.  This  is  the  arrogance  of 
the  triple-crowned  prince  of  the  Vatican  and 
his  scarlet-clad  abettors,  and  this  the  humilia- 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  87 

tins:  vassalage  in  which  he  claims  that  all  the 
princes  of  the  earth  ought  to  yield  themselves 
to  him  as  the  vicar  of  Christ. 

The  doctrine  that  "liberty  of  conscience 
and  of  worship  is  a  right  of  every  man,"  by 
the  same  high  authority  is  pronounced  a 
heresy  and  " a  delirium"  which  the  spiritual 
power  punishes  with  excommunication,  and 
the  temporal  in  all  nations  ought  to  punish 
with  death.  In  the  purely  Romish  countries, 
kings  and  princes  have  long  done  this  bloody 
work  of  the  Church.  And  in  Rome  this 
Draconic  law  is  supreme,  the  persecuting 
despotism  complete. 

To  purchase  and  read  the  Bible  or  any 
other  prohibited  book,  without  a  license,  is  an 
heretical  act,  and  subjects  the  offender  to 
excommunication  and  death.  All  "  biblical 
societies"  are  classed  in  the  appendix  to  his 
encyclical  as  "pests,"  and  all  who  counte- 
nance them  are  held  as  "  violators  of  the 
Catholic  religion,"  on  whom  the  "penalties 
of  law"  should  be  inflicted. 

The  imprisonment  and  exile,  a  few  years 


88  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

since,  of  Count  Guiccardiani  and  his  compan- 
ions, at  Florence,  for  reading  the  gospel  of 
John,  was  a  logically  defensive  necessity  of 
the  assumptive  infallibility  and  supremacy  of 
the  Romish  Church.  Julian  the  Apostate, 
for  the  same  reason,  forbade  to  the  Christians 
the  study  of  heathen  learning.  "  They  wound 
us/'  he  says,  "  by  our  own  weapons ;  with 
our  own  arts  and  sciences  they  overcome  us." 

Here  is  the  vital  point  in  the  present  issues 
of  the  papacy.  She  must  retain  her  political 
character,  or  lose  her  power  of  compelling  the 
faith  of  men  in  her  sovereignty.  She  must 
have  executioners  of  her  most  exterminating 
sentence,  or  her  empire  and  her  grandeur  are 
ended.  Then  would  her  fulminations  have 
only  the  force  of  the  truth  that  is  in  them. 
Fire  and  fagots  and  £he  sword  would,  in 
her  pale,  give  place  to  free  thought  and 
free  speech.  She  would  be  obliged  to  meet 
dissent  with  argument,  light  with  light,  and 
spiritual  foes  with  only  spiritual  forces. 

This  she  dreads.  "  I  will  listen,"  says  the 
pope  "  to  no  more  propositions  modifying  the 


FOR   THE   TZIUTH.  89 

conditions  of  my  temporal  power."  But  in 
the  year  1866,  the  great  prophetic  year  for  a 
downfall  in  Romanism,  the  emperor  of  France 
withdraws  his  troops  from  Rome,  and  the  tem- 
poral sovereignty  of  the  pope,  sustained  by 
falsehood  and  fraud,  vanishes  from  the  page 
of  history. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  wrote  Napo- 
leon I. :  "  The  interests  of  religion,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  people  of  France,  Germany  and 
Italy,  all  unite  in  compelling  his  majesty  to 
put  an  end  to  this  temporal  power,  the  feeble 
remnant  of  the  exaggerations  of  the  Gregories 
and  others,  who  claimed  to  rule  over  kings, 
to  give  away  crowns,  and  to  have  the  manage- 
ment of  things  of  the  earth  as  well  as  those  of 
heaven." 

He  began  the  compulsory  action,  and  his 
astute  nephew — knighted  as  il  Defender  of  the 
Faith"  in  Rome,  on  Christmas,  1850,  in  one 
of  the  grandest  displays  of  the  Church — has 
brought  it  to  an  end. 

8* 


MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 


CHAPTER    XV. 

BOMB  A   PERSECUTING   POWMB. 

BY  A.  B.  C. 

OF  the  five  chief  institutions  of  Romanism, 
a  full  inside  view  can  be  secured  only  at 
Rome.  They  are  all  clustered  here.  This 
is  the  grand  centre.  The  heart  of  the  system 
is  here,  and  these  institutions  are  its  arterial 
organization. 

"As  St.  Peter  vanquished  the  first  heresi- 
archs  on  no  other  spot  than  Rome,"  said  the  old 
Dominican  inquisitor  Caraffa,  "  so  must  the 
successor  of  St.  Peter  overcome  all  the  here- 
sies of  the  world  in  Rome."  Everywhere 
else,  from  the  intelligence  of  the  people  oo 
the  tolerance  of  another  faith,  it  meets  with 
hindrances  to  its  full  operation. 

1.  Here,  the  sovereign  pontiff,  with  his 
triple  crown,  sits  on  his  golden  throne,  the 

90 


FOR   TIIE   TRUTH.  91 

despotic  and  infallible  head  of  the  Church 
militant.  Pius  IX.,  at  first,  would  have  been 
a  reformer  had  reform  been  practicable.  His 
accession  was  hailed  by  the  Italians  as  the 
dawn  of  a  brighter  day.  He  introduced 
some  constitutional  elements  into  the  govern- 
ment. He  granted  a  chamber  of  deputies 
and  a  lay  ministry.  But  the  cardinals  saw 
the  tendency,  and  resisted  him.  They  ar- 
rested legitimate  measures  which  arose  in  the 
chamber,  and  overrode  the  ministry.  The 
crisis  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  relax  the 
oppressive  rule  of  the  Romish  Church,  and 
to  signalize  himself  in  the  progress  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty.  It  was  in  his  heart  to 
do  so.  But  he  lacked  courage.  He  was  not 
the  man  for  his  time,  and  he  fled  from  a  peo- 
ple that  then  loved  him  as  intensely  as  they 
afterward  hated  him.  He  refused  their  re- 
peated invitations  to  return  and  carry  on  a 
government  of  his  own  projecting;  and  he 
employed  a  foreign  soldiery  to  bombard  his 
way  back  to  a  throne  on  which  he  has  since 
sat,  firmly  or  feebly,  according  to  the  number 


92  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

of  alien  troops  by  which  he  has  been  sur- 
rounded. 

What  a  spectacle !  The  professed  vicege- 
rent of  Him  who  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world,"  battling  in  blood  for  a  tem- 
poral dominion !  The  assumed  representa- 
tive of  the  Prince  of  Peace  maintaining  his 
sway  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  and  in  seas 
of  blood ! 

2.  Here  is  the  college  of  cardinals,  that 
rearguard  of  absolutism,  that  impure  junto 
of  misanthropy,  tyranny  and  sensuality.  It 
numbers  seventy  when  full,  fifty-six  of  whom 
are  cardinal  priests,  twenty-four  cardinal  dea- 
cons and  six  cardinal  bishops.  The  pope 
appoints  the  cardinals,  and  they  in  turn  elect 
the  pope,  and  act  as  his  counsellors  at  home 
and  legates  abroad.  They  assist  him  in  the 
celebration  of  mass,  and  one  officiates  as  his 
prime  minister.  Nominally,  they  are  subject 
to  him,  but  in  reality  they  are  his  rulers. 

Examples  of  nobleness  and  philanthropy, 
doubtless,  there  are  among  them.  But  ac- 
cording to  common  fame  and  reliable  testi- 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  93 

rnony,  these  are  the  exceptions.  The  revolu- 
tion of  1848  brought  several  of  them,  for  a 
time,  under  the  protection  of  our  Minister  at 
Rome,  and  into  the  familiar  interchanges  of 
thought  and  feeling,  disclosing  a  social  and 
moral  debasement  the  farthest  removed  from 
what  the  Gospel  requires  in  its  teachers,  and 
which  would  blast  the  fame  of  any  Christian 
minister  in  our  land. 

3.  The  Propaganda  di  Fide,  founded  by 
Gregory  XV.  in  1622,  and  further  endowed 
by  Urban  VIII.,  is  also  at  Rome.  It  is 
situated  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
Piazza  di  Spagna.  Its  annual  income  at  the 
close  of  the  last  century  was  three  hundred 
thousand  Roman  crowns.  Its  printing-office 
was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world,  with  type 
for  publishing  in  twenty-seven  languages. 

The  French  Revolution  swept  over  it,  and 
its  pupils  were  scattered,  its  funds  appropri- 
ated to  other  purposes  and  its  founts  of  type 
carried  to  Paris.  In  1818  the  college  was 
reopened,  and  it  now  numbers  from  seventy 
to  a  hundred  choice  students. 


94  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

The  scholastic  dress  is  a  long  black  cassock, 
bound  with  a  red  girdle,  and  two  broad  rib- 
bons hanging  from  the  shoulders  behind. 
The  students  are  entirely  supported  by  the 
institution,  even  to  the  expense  of  travel  to 
Rome  and  back  to  their  native  country. 
Each  one  in  return  gives  a  pledge  that  he 
will  devote  his  life  to  the  dissemination  of 
the  Catholic  faith. 

At  the  annual  exhibition  in  1851  parts 
were  performed  in  fifty  different  languages. 
This  institution  presents  an  illustration  of 
some  of  the  comprehensive  educational  prin- 
ciples of  Romanism.  It  disdains  the  odious 
distinctions  of  color  which  prevail  in  some 
branches  of  the  Protestant  Church.  The 
blackest  Ethiopian  stands  here  on  a  level 
with  the  fairest  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  or  the 
Latin  race.  It  collects  the  materials  upon 
which  it  works  from  every  nation,  tribe  and 
tongue,  and  stimulates  them  to  the  greatest 
zeal  and  energy  by  the  highest  admiration 
and  praise. 

The  Propaganda  is  the  great  heart  of  the 


FOR   THE  TRUTH.  95 

whole  masterly  missionary  system  of  the  pa- 
pacy. By  the  multiform  orders  of  monks 
and  nuns,  as  through  so  many  arteries  and 
veins,  noiselessly  it  sends  out  and  receives 
back  its  vital  fluid.  The  whole  world  is 
distinctly  mapped  out  in  its  halls,  and  the 
chief  points  of  influence  minutely  marked. 
A  kind  of  telegraphic  communication  is  es- 
tablished with  the  remotest  stations  in  South 
Africa  and  Siberia,  and  with  almost  every 
nook  in  our  own  land,  to  which  the  myrmi- 
dons of  papal  power  look  with  the  most  of 
hope,  and  also  the  most  of  fear.  It  is 
through  means  of  this  modern  galvanic  bat- 
tery, set  up  in  the  Vatican,  that  the  Church 
of  Rome  has  gained  its  power  of  ubiquity — 
has  made  itself  wellnigh  omnipotent  as  well 
as  omnipresent. 

The  same  forestalling,  stimulating  principle 
is  applied  in  the  training  of  monastic  females. 
At  vespers,  one  Sunday  evening,  in  the 
Church  Trinita  di  Monte,  I  witnessed  a  ser- 
vice by  the  "  white  nuns,"  illustrating  this 
feature  of  Romanism. 


96  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

They  were  girls,  from  eight  to  sixteen, 
with  blue  frocks  and  white  veils  falling  upon 
the  shoulders  behind  and  nearly  to  the  feet. 
They  entered  the  church  from  the  adjoining 
convent  in  a  procession  of  two  and  two,  ap- 
proached the  altar,  slowly  bending  the  knees 
almost  to  the  floor,  and  bowing  in  graceful 
homage  to  the  picture  of  the  Virgin.  Then 
rising  they  turned,  each  to  the  opposite  side 
of  the  space,  knelt  again,  rose  and  seated 
themselves.  The  service  consisted  of  chant- 
ings  and  responses,  genuflections  and  demon- 
strations, after  which  the  nuns  retired,  bow- 
ing to  the  altar  as  when  they  entered.  In 
all  these  ecclesiastical  gymnastics  they  had 
been  trained  to  the  utmost  exactness  and 
gracefulness  of  manner. 

But  why  are  these  girls,  at  this  tender  age, 
taken  out  of  the  family  relations,  and  fore- 
doomed to  a  life  with  which  they  can  have 
no  natural  affinities?  Why  this  unseemly 
haste  to  bind  them  to  this  single  and  repul- 
sive life  ?  God  made  man  male  and  female, 
and  in  the  unity  of  this  dualism  is  developed 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  97 

the  whole  humanity.  The  Church  of  Rome, 
iu  respect  to  the  clergy,  contravenes  this 
primal  order.  Not  a  few  of  the  ills  which 
afflict  fair  Italy  arise  from  this  initial  vice  of 
Romanism — the  celibacy  of  the  priests.  They 
are  the  teachers  and  rulers  of  the  land.  But 
they  are  not  allowed  the  family  ties  of  hus- 
band and  father,  and  consequently  lose  the 
humanizing,  elevating  influences  which  God 
has  connected  with  these  hallowed  relations. 

4.  Another  characteristic  institution  of  the 
Romish  Church,  which  has  its  centre  at 
Rome,  is  the  Company  of  Jesus,  or  the  Jesuits. 
The  general  of  the  order  resides  at  Rome, 
wielding  a  sceptre  second  in  power  only  to 
that  of  the  pope.  To  the  three  vows  of  pov- 
erty, chastity  and  monastic  obedience,  com- 
mon to  other  orders,  Loyola  added  a  fourth, 
peculiar  to  the  members  of  his  society.  It 
was  the  vow  of  obedience  to  the  pope  in  the 
service  of  the  Church,  without  charge  for 
their  support.  This  procured  them  their  in- 
stitution from  Paul  III.  in  1540.     In  nine 

9 


98  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 

years  they  acquired  a  superiority  to  all  hu- 
man control,  except  that  of  the  pontiff. 

The  constitution  of  the  society  is  essentially 
military  and  most  rigidly  despotic,  all  power 
being  lodged  with  the  general.  In  his  hands 
all  are  to  be  as  "  a  staff/'  or  "  as  a  dead  body." 
It  was  the  boast  of  Ignatius  that  he  wished 
for  only  one  month  to  secure  this  conquest. 
The  achievement  is  accomplished  by  means 
of  a  manual  called  the  "  Spiritual  Exercises." 
"  These,"  says  Father  de  Ravignan,  "  have 
created  the  society,  maintain  it,  preserve  it 
and  give  it  life."  Hence  this  book  is  placed 
at  the  threshold  of  the  order. 

The  victim  sits  and  stands,  and  sighs  and 
groans,  and  weeps  and  reflects,  and  prays,  all 
by  a  prescribed  rule.  In  this  way  he  is 
broken  to  the  will  of  the  ghostly  father. 
The  man  is  then  lost  in  the  order.  Every 
power  of  body  and  mind  wears  its  chains. 
His  last  act  of  freedom  is  his  choice  of  this 
perpetual  bondage.  Says  Loyola,  "If  the 
authority  declares  that  which  seems  to  you 
white  is  black,  affirm  that  it  is  black." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  99 

From  the  life  of  free  thoughts  and  free 
words,  and  of  an  advancing  Christianity, 
men  are  thus  taken  into  the  close  atmosphere 
of  the  tombs,  to  be  as  corpses  among  the 
dead.  The  order  is  a  complete  despotism 
over  the  mind,  conscience,  will  and  estates  of 
its  numbers.  Espionage  and  inquisitions 
reign  in  all  grades  and  offices  of  the  company, 
except  the  highest.  All  are  watched  by  all ; 
and  all  give  account  to  the  general  of  the 
order,  who  gives  account  to  none. 

5.  Finally,  the  central  enginery  of  the 
Inquisition  still  works  with  a  secret  though 
somewhat  abated  malignancy.  This  is  the 
main  defensive  expedient  of  the  papacy,  de- 
vised by  Innocent  III.  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury for  the  conviction  and  punishment  of 
heretics,  and  renewed  at  the  Reformation. 
Its  processes  are  all  secret  as  the  grave,  and 
its  cells  full  of  dead  men's  bones.  Within 
the  enclosures  of  this  il  Court  of  Death/'  are 
kept  the  "iron  shears"  of  this  infallible 
Church,  with  which  she  is  wont  to  pare  the 
faith  of  men  into  agreement  with  her  canons 


100  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

and  her  catechism.  Here  is  the  statue  of  the 
blessed  Virgin,  with  her  spike  bosom  and 
her  iron  arms,  with  which  this  step-mother 
was  wont  to  receive  her  wayward  children  to 
her  fond  embrace.  Here,  too,  are  the  huge 
" keys"  of  St.  Peter,  and  the  deep  dungeons 
and  massive  doors  within  which  she  locks  up 
poor  temptation-tried  pilgrims,  to  keep  them 
unspotted  from  the  world. 

Behind  all,  upon  his  bloody  throne,  sits  the 
dark-visaged  inquisitor.  His  "  bones  are 
marrowless,"  his  blood  "  is  cold,"  he  has  "  a 
lean  and  hungry  look,"  and  is  filled  "  top-full 
of  direst  cruelty."  For  this  inhuman  work 
a  laic  must  not  be  taken,  for  he  may  have 
some  social  bands  or  some  "dregs  of  con- 
science, some  milk  o?  human  kindness,"  which 
may  make  him  a  coward. 

At  its  reinstitution  in  1542,  six  cardinals 
constituted  the  first  court,  as  Inquisitors 
General ;  of  whom  Caraffa  and  Toledo  were 
the  chief.  Its  powers  were  absolute,  save  the 
right  of  pardon  reserved  to  the  pope.  By  its 
rules  no  respect  was  to  be  shown  to  "  prince 


FOE   THE    TKCTH.  101 

or  prelate/'  to  age  or  sex.  The  suspected 
were  followed  by  the  utmost  rigour  of  prose- 
cution. 

The  fourth  rule  forbids  any  sort  of  toler- 
ance towards  heretics,  and  especially  toward 
Calvinists.  Children  are  compelled  to  be 
informers  against  parents,  and  parents  against 
children,  husbands  against  wives,  and  wives 
against  husbands.  The  Duchess  of  Ferrara, 
except  for  the  Salic  law  heiress  to  the  throne 
of  France,  was  accused  by  her  own  husband, 
and  shut  out  from  all  sympathy.  "  The 
mountains  are  between  her  and  her  friends," 
said  her  keeper;  "she  mingles  her  wine  with 
tears." 

Thus  the  most  concealed  germ  of  free 
thought  is  hunted  out  of  society  and  of  the  soul 
by  the  disguised  or  open  emissaries  of  the 
inquisition.  "  Dishonour  of  the  reason,"  says 
Schiller,  "and  the  murder  of  the  soul  consti- 
tute its  vows.  Its  instruments  are  terror  and 
disgrace.  Every  passion  is  in  its  pay,  and  its 
snares  lie  in  every  joy  of  life.  Even  solitude 
is  not  secure  from  its  espionage,  and  the  fear 
0  • 


102  MART  YES  AND  SUFFERERS 

of  its  omnipresence  holds  freedom  fettered, 
even  in  the  depths  of  the  soul.  All  the 
instincts  of  humanity  it  has  trodden  down 
under  the  feet  of  credulity,  and  to  it  have  been 
made  to  yield  all  those  bonds  which  men 
esteem  holiest.  All  claims  upon  his  race  are, 
for  the  heretic,  disallowed.  For,  by  the  least 
infraction  of  the  law  of  Mother  Church,  he  has 
destroyed  his  humanity.  A  modest  doubt  as 
to  the  infallibility  of  the  pope  is  esteemed 
parricide.  Even  the  lifeless  body  of  the 
heretic  is  cursed.  No  destiny  can  rescue  its 
victims,  and  the  grave  itself  is  no  refuge  from 
its  terrible  arms." 

During  the  revolution  in  1848  the  doors 
of  this  infernal  institution  were  torn  open, 
and  its  mysteries  of  iniquity  disclosed  to  the 
gaze  of  an  indignant  humanity.  In  the 
Chamber  of  Archives  were  piled  up  the 
records  of  its  dark  proceedings.  Over  the 
door  to  one  apartment  was  written,  "No  one 
enters  this  room  except  on  pain  of  excom- 
munication." It  was  the  Judgment  Hall, 
where  the  fate  of  thousands  has  been  sealed 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  103 

by  the  diabolical  inquisitors.  In  an  adjoin- 
ing room  was  found  a  trap-door,  through 
which  the  condemned  passes  into  eternity. 
The  pit  is  cylindrical  in  form  and  eighty  feet 
deep,  within  which  the  terrific  engines  of 
death  performed  their  demoniacal  work. 

The  strictest  literary  censorship,  which  is  a 
part  of  the  criminal  jurisprudence,  is  extended 
by  the  inquisitors  to  every  department  of 
science,  archaeology,  philosophy,  history,  poli- 
tical economy  and  theology.  Xo  original 
investigation  is  tolerated  divergent  from  the 
prevalent  orthodoxy.  In  1543,  Caraffa  ordered 
that  no  book,  whatever  its  contents,  whether 
old  or  new,  should  be  printed  without  permis- 
sion from  the  inquisitors.  All  booksellers  were 
required  to  submit  a  catalogue  of  their  stock, 
and  a  few  years  after  an  index  of  forbidden 
books  was  published  and  still  continues  to  be. 

In  1851,  I  copied  the  following  decretum 
from  the  door-post  of  St.  Peter's,  with  an 
appended  list  of  prohibited  books : 

"  A  Decretum  of  the  Sacred  Congregation 
of  the  Holy  Roman  Church  of  Cardinals  by 


104  MAETYRS   AND   SUFFEKEKS 

our  most  holy  Lord,  Pius  IX.,  in  which  we 
have  condemned  and  will  condemn,  have  pro- 
scribed and  will  proscribe,  the  following 
works." 

Then  comes  a  list  of  the  books,  among 
which  are — 

A  Historical  Analysis  of  Christian  Civili- 
zation. 

Mysteries  of  the  Inquisition  and  other 
Secret  Societies  of  Spain. 

Letters  on  the  Egyptian  Hieroglyphics. 

"No  one  shall  dare  to  publish,  read  or 
keep  in  any  place  or  idiom,  any  one  of  these 
condemned  books,  under  the  penalties  stated 
in  the  ?  Index  of  Vicious  Books/  " 

"  That  a  book,  in  worse  condition  than  a 
peccant  soul,"  said  John  Milton,  "  should  be 
made  to  stand  before  a  jury  ere  it  be  born 
to  the  world,  and  undergo,  yet  in  darkness, 
the  judgment  of  Rhadamanth  and  his  col- 
leagues, ere  it  can  pass  the  ferry  backward 
into  light,  was  never  heard  before  till  that 
mysterious  iniquity,  provoked  and  troubled 
at  the  first  entrance  of  reformation,  sought  out 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  105 

new  limbos  and  new  hells,  wherein  they 
might  include  our  books  also  within  the  num- 
ber of  their  damned." 

But  there  is  one  object  on  which  these 
mitred  ecclesiastics  look  with  more  intense 
anxiety  than  upon  any  other.  They  fear  it 
more  and  hate  it  more.  It  is  the  Bible.  This 
they  regard  as  the  fomenter  of  all  their  diffi- 
culties. This  occasions  agitations  and  discus- 
sions among  the  people,  and  kindles  in  them 
dangerous  desires  to  think  for  themselves, 
and  to  know  what  God  teaches.  Here  are 
the  seeds  of  free  schools  and  free  thoughts,  a 
free  press  and  a  free  government.  The  Bible 
has  made  England  and  America  free.  Hence 
the  Romanists  proscribe  it  and  burn  it,  and 
exile,  incarcerate  or  burn  those  who  read  it. 

The  massive  strength  of  the  Romish  hier- 
archy is  found  in  the  great  institutions  of 
which  we  have  taken  a  glimpse — the  Papal 
See,  the  College  of  Cardinals,  the  Propaganda 
di  Fide,  the  Order  of  Jesus  and  the  Inquisi- 
tion. It  involves  the  highest  constructive 
skill,  and  is  the  fruit  of  twelve  hundred  years 


106  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

of  experiments.  But  just  here  too,  is  its 
weakness;  because  mere  human  sagacity  is 
always  weak,  and  must,  in  the  end,  prove 
futile  against  Divine  Providence  and  the 
Bible. 

In  a  certain  mythology  of  the  ancients,  the 
heavens  are  supported  by  the  earth,  the  earth 
by  an  elephant,  the  elephant  by  a  turtle,  while 
the  turtle  stands  on  his  own  feet.  By  a  similar 
series  of  supports  the  Inquisition  stands  on 
the  Propaganda,  the  Propaganda  on  the  cardi- 
nals, the  cardinals  on  the  pope,  and  the 
pope  on  nothing. 

As  a  spiritual  despotism  it  must  remain  as 
it  is  or  fall.  Reform  is  impracticable.  Lu- 
ther and  Melancthon  sought  this  earnestly, 
boldly,  but  ineffectually.  They  did  not  break 
from  the  Church  until,  for  their  efforts  at 
reform,  she  cut  them  off  as  guilty  of  damnable 
heresy.  Then  the  die  was  cast.  They  must 
protest  and  fight  for  the  truth,  or  perish. 

The  papal  anathema  roused  the  Saxon 
monk.  "  You  will  burn  me,"  he  says,  "  for 
answer  to  the  God's  message  which  I  strive 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  107 

to  bring  you.  I  take  your  bull  as  a  parch- 
ment lie,  and  burn  that"  And,  proceeding 
with  it  to  to  the  east  gate  of  Witteraburg,  he 
kindled  a  fire  which  illumined  the  whole  Xorth 
of  Europe.  "  Confute  me  by  proofs  of  Scrip- 
ture," said  he,  "  at  the  Diet  of  Worms,  or 
else  by  plain,  just  argument,  otherwise  I  can- 
not recant.  Here  I  stand — I  can  do  nothing 
else,  God  help  me  !" 

Thus  the  battle  commenced — the  great  bat- 
tle of  Armageddon,  of  truth  against  error, 
light  against  darkness,  Christ  against  Anti- 
christ. At  this  point  the  papacy  closes  the 
breviary,  and 

"  Opes  the  bleeding  testament  of  purple  war." 

To  the  side  of  truth  and  freedom  gather  the 
faithful  and  the  free  from  every  clime.  They 
are  inspired  by  the  voices  of  the  slain  wit- 
nesses under  the  altar,  saying,  "How  long, 
Lord  God  Almighty,  shall  we  not  be  aveng- 
ed ?"  And  their  final  victorious  requiem 
shall  be  in  the  language  of  the  Seer  of  Patmos, 

"  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen. 


108  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

"  For  her  sins  have  reached  into  heaven, 
and  God  hath  rewarded  her  iniquities." 

"  Alas !  alas !  that  great  city  Babylon;  that 
mighty  city  !  for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment 


FOR    THE   TRUTH.  109 


CHAPTER   XVI 

LOUIS  JIOXTREVEL,  OR  THE  HUGUENOT  MAR- 
TYRS. 

BY  MITA  LAUDER. 

ASEREXE  Sabbath  in  June.  The  sun 
looks  down  calmly  from  his  sapphire 
throne  upon  beautiful  France,  now  bleeding 
with  the  bitter  persecution  of  God's  people — 
the  despised  Huguenots.  There,  in  his  pleas- 
ant light,  stands  the  little  village  of  Mire- 
court. 

A  neat  temple  nestles  in  the  foliage,  and 
through  the  quaint  old  streets,  and  across  the 
little  green  squares,  and  past  the  rows  of 
freshly-trimmed  shade  trees,  are  walking  a 
goodly  company  in  holiday  attire.  There  are 
old  men  in  small  clothes,  with  shining  knee- 
buckles  and  three-cornered  hate,  and  young 
men  in  gay  waistcoats  and  glittering  breast- 
10  109 


110  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

pins.  There  are  peasant  women  in  black 
jackets,  short  scarlet  petticoats  and  tall,  clear- 
starched muslin  head-dresses ;  and  pretty 
grisettes  in  coquettish  black  silk  aprons  and 
jaunty  lace  caps;  while  children  of  all  sizes 
are  scattered  here  and  there,  as  buds  among 
the  flowers.  Only  a  small  number  of  faces 
peep  out  from  bonnets,  for  in  this  little  dis- 
trict there  are  not  many  families  of  wealth. 

One  of  these  few  bonneted  women  would 
instantly  have  attracted  your  attention ;  she  was 
slightly  below  the  middle  age,  with  a  calm,  pale 
face  and  soft  hazel  eyes.  By  her  side,  with  a 
hymn-book  in  his  hand,  is  a  tall,  erect  man 
of  benevolent  countenance.  Before  her  walks 
a  fine-looking  lad  of  eighteen,  leading  two 
little  girls,  and  behind  her  two  round-faced 
boys,  who  might  have  been,  the  one  twelve 
and  the  other  fourteen  years  of  age.  This 
group  constitutes  the  Montrevel  family,  one 
of  the  most  respectable  in  the  place  and  uni- 
versally beloved. 

All  these  people,  from  different  directions, 
are  drawing  toward  one  point — the  modest 


FOR   THE   TRUTH,  111 

church  hidden  among  the  trees.  When  the 
Montrevel  family  approached  the  entrance, 
Louis  drew  back  the  little  girls  for  his  parents 
to  precede  him,  and  then  following  with  his 
brothers,  they  all  passed  in  and  sat  down  on 
one  of  the  benches,  Louis  helping  his  twin 
sisters  to  mount  a  seat  each  side  of  him.  A 
pleasant  sight  it  was  to  look  upon  monsieur 
and  madame  with  their  little  flock,  and  many 
an  eye  dwelt  kindly  on  the  flaxen  curly-haired 
Agnes  and  Marie. 

The  introductory  services  are  over,  and  the 
aged  pastor  rises  to  announce  his  text : 

u  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  ray  peace  I  give 
unto  you,  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto 
you" 

As  he  stands  the  re,  his  silver  locks  flowing 
over  his  shoulders,  and  his  mild  blue  eye 
lighted  with  heavenly  fire,  a  ray  of  light 
falling  on  his  forehead  crowns  him  with  an 
aureole,  likening  him  to  one  of  the  old  pic- 
tured saints  of  Fra  Angelico. 

"  My  dear  children,"  he  says,  "  we  must 
all  abide  as  did  the  Israelites,  with  our  sandals 


112  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

on,  our  loins  girded  and  our  lamps  trimmed 
and  burning.  Our  lot  is  cast  in  a  compara- 
tively obscure  part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
And  as  yet  we  have  known  but  little  of  the 
terrible  sufferings  our  brethren  and  sisters 
have  endured  since  the  revocation  of  King 
Henry's  edict.  But  when  the  bitter  cup  comes 
to  us,  as  come  without  doubt  it  will,  may  we 
drink  it  submissively !  I  pray  that  in  the 
day  of  adversity  not  one  of  my  dear  flock 
may  be  left  to  deny  his  Master." 

Hardly  had  he  uttered  these  words  when 
the  distant  sound  of  cavalry  sent  a  shudder 
through  the  assembly,  for  the  poor  Huguenots 
had  good  reason  to  know  what  this  portended. 

"  I  will  look  unto  the  hills  whence  my  help 
cometh,"  said  the  good  man,  lifting  up  his 
eyes  to  heaven.  Then  extending  his  arms 
toward  his  beloved  people,  he  continued : 

"  Fear  not,  little  flock ;  it  is  your  Father's 
good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom." 

"  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation ; 
but  be  of  good  cheer ;  I  have  overcome  the 
world." 


Martyrs  and  Sufferers. 


Page  113. 


FOR   TQE   TRUTH.  113 

More  and  more  distinct  grew  the  tramp  of 
the  horsemen,  and  in  spite  of  Father  Legarrne's 
cheering  words  the  people  were  greatly  agi- 
tated. Some  fled  in  terror,  while  others  hud- 
dled together  at  the  foot  of  the  altar. 

On  came  the  dragoons — dashing  with  savage 
yells  through  the  quiet  streets,  across  the 
green  sward — on  toward  that  temple  of  sin- 
cere worshippers.  In  less  time  than  it  has 
taken  to  describe  the  scene  the  Lord's  house 
is  filled  and  surrounded.  Mounting  the  pul- 
pit, his  sword  clattering  on  the  stairs,  the 
captain  unrolled  a  parchment  with  its  large 
seals  of  state,  and  read  a  proclamation,  the  sub- 
stance of  which  was  that  his  royal  majesty  had 
appointed  dragonnades  for  the  recovery  of  all 
heretics  to  the  Most  Holy  Catholic  Church. 

"  In  accordance  with  this  proclamation/'  he 
continued,  "  you  are  all  hereby  summoned  to 
repair  to  the  cathedral,  where  the  priests  who 
accompany  the  regiment  will  receive  your 
recantation ;  and  afterward  you  will  celebrate 
the  mass.  If  any  refuse  to  obey,  upon  them 
will  the  dragoons  be  quartered." 
10* 


114  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

Then  addressing  the  soldiers  with  a  shout, 
"  Now,  men,  to  your  work  \"  there  followed  a 
scene  of  indescribable  terror  and  distress. 
Some  fled ;  others  were  dragged  through  the 
streets  into  the  cathedral,  up  to  the  very  altars, 
while  a  few,  sorely  tempted,  hastily  signed 
their  abjuration,  to  repent  of  it  ever  after. 

The  houses  of  the  recusants  were  filled  with 
these  emissaries  of  the  Church.  All  the  tor- 
ments that  human  or  satanic  ingenuity  could 
devise  were  made  use  of  to  force  back  these 
wanderers  to  the  arms  of  their  cruel  mother. 
The  poor  victims  were  hung  up  by  their  feet 
or  the  hair  of  their  head ;  and  as  if  that  were  not 
enough,  were  at  the  same  time  nearly  suffo- 
cated by  the  burning  of  damp  straw  in  their 
cells.  They  were  plunged  into  water  and 
drawn  out  with  a  bare  escape  from  drowning. 
Strong  drink  was  poured  down  their  throats 
through  a  funnel  till  they  were  intoxicated, 
in  which  condition  they  were  induced  to  re- 
cant. By  the  ceaseless  vigilance  of  sentinels, 
for  a  whole  week  at  a  time  they  were  pre- 
vented   from   securing   one   minute's    sleep. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  115 

"Women  were  cruelly  disfigured  in  the  face, 
and  dragged  through  the  streets  by  the  hair 
of  their  heads,  and  otherwise  shamefully  mal- 
treated. Thus  in  every  possible  way  were 
they  harassed  and  tortured,  while,  if  they 
attempted  to  flee  the  country,  they  were  pur- 
sued, and  if  caught  punished  as  malefactors. 
But  the  refinement  of  these  cruelties  was  the 
tearing  from  the  arms  of  their  parents  chil- 
dren of  the  tenderest  age,  and  committing  them 
to  the  charge  of  that  cold-blooded  stepmother 
— the  papacy. 

Upon  the  Montrevel  family  had  been  quar- 
tered thirty  of  these  remorseless  dragoons — 
an  infliction,  in  comparison  with  which  the 
Egyptian  plagues  were  a  dispensation  of 
mercy.  There  seemed  to  be  no  species  of 
wanton  or  brutal  violence  which  these  holy 
"  booted  missionaries"  omitted  from  their 
means  of  grace  for  the  conversion  of  heretics. 
After  various  ineffectual  efforts  with  Mon- 
sieur Montrevel,  one  of  these  fiends  exclaimed 
with  an  oath,  "You  shall  swallow  the  host," 
and  i  pening  his  mouth  with  a  bayonet,  another 


116  MAETYES   AND  SUFFEEEES 

of  the  hellish  crew  put  in  the  host,  which 
together  they  forced  down  his  throat. 

As  Louis,  the  eldest  son,  witnessed  this 
atrocious  act,  he  started  to  rush  upon  the 
monsters,  but  an  appealing  look  from  his 
mother  and  the  recollection  of  his  own  impo- 
tence arrested  his  motion.  At  this  moment, 
a  Jesuit  father,  entering,  angrily  addressed  the 
heretic. 

"  We  will  yet  find  means  to  overcome  your 
obstinacy;"  and  nodding  to  the  ruffians,  he 
added,  "  take  him  away." 

As  they  were  dragging  him  from  the  room, 
he  cast  a  parting  glance  at  his  wife  and  son, 
saying,  " Remember  the  promise,  'Be  thou 
faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a 
crown  of  life/" 

To  make  sure  of  the  lambs,  these  ravening 
wolves  then  proceeded  to  tear  from  the  broken- 
hearted wife  her  two  younger  sons  and  the 
pretty  twins,  little  Agnes  and  Marie,  whose 
pleas  to  stay  with  their  dear  mamma  might 
have  moved  a  heart  of  stone. 

Late  the  same  day,  as  the  dragoons,  half 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  117 

drunk,  had  thrown  themselves  down  to  sleep, 
Louis  went  out  to  draw  water.  Hastily 
following,  his  mother  beckoned  him  into  the 
granary. 

"  Ah,  my  son,  you  must  leave  me  instantly." 

"  I  cannot,  dear  mother." 

"  There  is  no  help  for  it,  Louis.  Your 
father  will  be  murdered,  and  the  little  ones 
are  all  torn  from  me.  But  you  may  live  to 
serve  the  dear  Master.  You  will  find  means 
to  escape  to  Holland  and  then  to  England, 
where,  it  may  be,  you  can  prepare  yourself  to 
be  a  minister  of  the  blessed  gospel.  Perhaps 
some  of  your  friends  will  go  with  you ;  but 
there  must  be  no  delay.  And  here  is  a  little 
money  for  you." 

As  Louis  still  hesitated,  she  added,  earnestly; 

"  For  you  to  remain  is  torture  and  death, 
or,  worse  still,  the  dreadful  galleys.  For  you 
will  not  forswear  your  religion." 

11  Never,  unless  God  forsakes  me." 

"  Then  farewell,  my  precious  child.  And 
may  God  bless  you!" 

Louis  hastily  flung  himself  on  his  mother's 


118  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

neck,  and  without  another  word  set  forth  on 
his  exile.  As  he  came  to  a  bend  in  the  road, 
he  turned  and  took  a  last  glimpse  of  his 
beloved  home.  How  attractive  it  looked  in 
the  sunset-light,  with  its  pleasant  parterre,  its 
nice  gravel- walks,  its  neat  rows  of  trees,  and 
that  indescribable  air  that  invests  home  with 
such  a  sacred  charm  ! 

"  It  will  soon  be  in  ruins,"  he  mournfully 
exclaimed.  But  choking  down  his  grief,  he 
went  on  his  way. 

Two  of  his  friends,  Andrew  and  Henry 
Oster,  lived  with  an  uncle  who  was  a  Catho- 
lic, and  whose  house,  consequently,  was  free 
from  the  hated  dragoons.  Being  one  of  the 
easy  sort,  he  did  not  molest  his  heretical 
friends,  and  if  he  happened  to  meet  either  of 
the  boys  carrying  provisions  away,  was  dis- 
creetly silent.  They  were,  in  fact,  carried  to 
a  secret  cavern,  where  a  few  families,  having 
managed  to  elude  the  vigilance  of  the  spies, 
had  hid  themselves,  taking  with  them  their 
beloved  pastor,  Father  Legarme. 

Mr.   Oster    had    this   very    day    assured 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  119 

Andrew  and  Henry  that  there  was  no  safety 
for  them  but  in  flight.  So  Louis  found  them 
prepared. 

"  And  let  us  try  to  get  off  Father  Legarme 
too,  for  these  wretches  pour  out  their  hottest 
vials  on  the  ministers." 

Leaving  the  friends  on  their  way  to  the 
cavern,  we  will  go  back  to  the  home  from 
which  Louis  had  been  driven  forth,  and 
where  Madame  Montrevel  remained  alone 
with  the  ruthless  invaders.  Innumerable 
cruelties  were  practiced  upon  her  to  make  her 
renounce  her  religion.  But  in  vain.  Having 
consumed  all  the  provisions  that  had  been 
stored  up,  pillaged  the  premises  of  everything 
valuable  and  demolished  the  house  even  to 
the  foundation,  the  savages  dragged  the  faith- 
ful woman  before  the  Duke  de  la  Pontiac. 

"  She  shall  submit !"  exclaimed  the  duke, 
enraged  at  her  obstinacy. 

And  ordering  pen  and  paper,  one  of  his 
zealous  servants  seized  her  hand  and  com- 
pelled her  to  sign  her  abjuration. 

"My  Master  wril]    pardon   this   offending 


120  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

hand,"  said  she,  looking  the  duke  calmly  in 
the  face,  u  for  my  heart  is  not  guilty  of  this 
base  denial." 

Is  it  possible,  we  are  constrained  to  ask, 
that  the  most  bigoted  zealot  should  have  at- 
tached any  weight  to  such  conversions  ?  Yet 
most  of  the  converts  reported  so  triumphantly 
to  the  king  were  of  this  description.  It  does 
not  surprise  us  that  the  good  queen  of  Swe- 
den, though  a  devoted  adherent  of  the  pa- 
pacy, should  write  as  she  did  to  the  French 
ambassador  at  Stockholm : 

"  I  will  frankly  avow  that  I  am  not  quite 
persuaded  of  the  success  of  this  great  design ; 
and  that  I  cannot  rejoice  at  it  as  an  affair 
very  advantageous  to  our  holy  religion.  Mil- 
itary men  are  strange  apostles.  I  consider 
them  more  likely  to  kill,  to  ravish  and  to 
plunder  than  to  persuade ;  and,  in  fact,  ac- 
counts beyond  doubt  inform  us  that  they 
fulfil  their  mission  entirely  in  their  own 
mode.  I  pity  the  people  abandoned  to  their 
discretion.  I  sympathize  with  so  many  ruined 
families*  so  many  respectable  persons  reduced 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  121 

to  beggary,  and  I  cannot  look  upon  what 
is  now  passing  in  France  without  com- 
passion." 

And  to  the  Cardinal  Azolino  she  feelingly 
exclaims : 

"  I  am  overwhelmed  with  grief  when  I 
think  of  all  the  innocent  blood  which  a  blind 
fanaticism  causes  daily  to  flow.  France  ex- 
ercises without  remorse  or  fear  the  most  bar- 
barous persecution  upon  the  dearest  and  most 

industrious  portion  of  her  people 

Every  time  I  contemplate  the  atrocious  tor- 
ments which  have  been  inflicted  upon  the 
Protestants,  my  heart  throbs  and  my  eyes  are 
filled  with  tears." 

Even  Madame  de  Maintenon,  that  zealous 
renegade  from  Protestantism,  frankly  admit- 
ted, "  I  think  that  all  these  conversions  are 
not  sincere ;  but  at  least  the  children  will  be 
Romanists." 

***** 

Louis  Montrevel  and  his  two  young  friends 
failed  to  persuade  Father  Legarme  to  share 
their  flight. 
11 


122  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

"  My  poor  services  belong  to  my  scattered 
flock." 

"  But  the  horrid  wolves  will  scent  you  out 
and  devour  you,"  exclaimed  Andrew,  impet- 
uously. 

"  Not  before  God's  time,  my  son.  And  if 
I  am  accounted  worthy  of  a  martyr's  death, 
he  will  carry  me  through  it." 

Having  exhorted  the  lads  to  remain  true 
to  their  faith,  whatever  trials  they  might  en- 
counter, the  good  pastor  prayed  fervently  with 
them,  and  then,  having  received  his  parting 
benediction,  they  set  out  on  their  journey. 

Poor  Louis  was  sadly  cast  down : 

"  I  feel  as  if  I  had  done  wrong  in  leaving 
my  mother." 

(t  But  the  brutes  would  have  torn  you  from 
her.  Oh  how  I  wish  the  lightning  would 
blast  them ! " 

"  Hush,  Andrew !  have  you  forgotten  how 
the  disciples  were  rebuked  for  wishing  to  call 
down  fire  from  heaven  ?" 

"  But  I  can't  help  hating  the  wretches,  and 
what  is  more,  I  don't  want  to." 


FOR   THE    TPwUTH.  123 

"  Christ  did  not  hate  his  persecutors,"  said 
Louis. 

"  Well,  maybe  it's  wrong,  and  yet  I  don't 
see  how  flesh  and  blood  can  do  any  better. 
It's  all  sham,  the  pretended  zeal  of  the  dra- 
goons— or  dragons,  as  they  ought  to  be  called. 
I  wonder  if  poor  France  will  ever  be  free 
from  her  oppressors?  Oh  that  we  had  a 
father  William  to  fight  our  battles  for  us,  as 
those  Dutchmen  had!" 

Looking  round  to  discover  why  Louis  did 
not  reply,  he  saw  the  tears  rolling  down  his 
cheeks. 

"  My  sweet  little  Agnes  and  Marie !"  was 
his  explanation.  "  How  they  will  grieve 
themselves  to  death  !  The  dear  boys  too — 
and  my  noble  father  and  mother.  How  can 
I  bear 'it?" 

"  Cheer  up,"  said  Henry,  "  for  there's  no 
knowing  what  may  happen.  We  may  have 
another  king  who  will  restore  our  edict,  and 
then  what  a  flocking  in  there  will  be  from  all 
quarters !  But,  Andrew,  suppose  we  shouldn't 
get  off,  after  all?" 


124  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

"  The  galleys  perhaps,"  replied  his  brother, 
with  a  shudder. 

"We  could,  both  of  us,  bear  that  better 
than  Louis,  for  we  have  roughed  it  more  and 
are  stouter  than  he." 

"  Our  heavenly  Father  can  give  us  strength 
to  endure,"  said  Louis;  "let  us  ask  his 
help." 

And  kneeling  down  in  the  woods,  they 
earnestly  implored  divine  strength  and  guid- 
ance. 

On  reaching  Paris,  the  boys  found  shelter 
for  the  night  in  a  Huguenot  family  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  gay  city. 

"  If  you  can  only  escape  the  notice  of  the 
guards,"  said  their  host,  as  his  wife  was  put- 
ting up  a  lunch  for  the  travellers,  "  and  once 
set  your  feet  in  Charleroi,  you  will  be  under 
the  protection  of  the  Dutch  garrison.  There's 
no  knowing  how  soon  the  rest  of  us  will  have 
to  flee.  But  keep  up,  lads,  for  we  shall  reach 
heaven  all  the  sooner  for  our  persecutions, 
and  thank  God  there'll  be  no  dragoons  there !" 

Cordially  shaking   hands  with  their  host 


FOR   THE  TRUTH.  125 

unci  hostess,  the  boys  once  more  set  forth  on 
their  exile.  They  had  not  travelled  many 
hours  before  they  caught  the  sound  of  distant 
troops.  Leaping  the  hedges,  they  had  no 
sooner  reached  a  place  of  concealment  in  the 
Is  than  a  company  of  dragoons  rode  furi- 
ously by.  It  was  not  till  long  after  the  last 
sound  of  the  retreating  horsemen  had  died 
away  that  they  ventured  again  into  the  high 
road.  They  also  encountered  other  perils,  in 
which  their  presence  of  mind  alone  saved  them. 

"  I  wish  we  dared  sing,"  said  Louis,  "  for 
I  am  sure  it  would  keep  up  our  spirits." 

"  "We  can  recite  hymns,  any  way,"  replied 
Henry,  "  and  that  is  next  best." 

"  I  have  no  memory  of  that  sort,"  observed 
Andrew,  "  but  I  will  be  your  attentive  audi- 
ence." 

So  Louis  and  Henry  took  turns  in  reciting 
Huguenot  hymns,  while  Andrew  performed 
the  part  of  listener. 

"  I  always  loved  those  hymns,"  he  said, 
"  but  somehow  they  seem  sweeter  than  ever 
before." 


126  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

"So  they  do  to  me,"  responded  Louis, 
"  and  I  suppose  it  is  because  we  are  in  circum- 
stances to  feel  the  need  of  the  consolations 
they  breathe.  I  think  we  should  also  find 
passages  of  Scripture  more  precious,  for  the 
same  reason.     Let  us  make  the  experiment." 

Having  repeated  a  number  of  verses,  they 
proceeded  to  talk  of  their  early  life. 

"  This  is  delightful,"  said  Henry,  "  even 
if  we  are  exiles." 

"  The  more  delightful  on  that  very  ac- 
count," replied  both  the  boys  in  the  same 
breath. 

"I  think  we  had  better  consult  a  little 
about  our  plans,"  said  Louis.  "  What  do  you 
mean  to  do,  boys,  if  we  get  safely  out  of  France  ?" 

"  I  am  going  to  learn  some  trade,"  replied 
Andrew. 

"  And  I  have  yet  to  decide,"  said  Henry, 
"  whether  I  shall  be  a  farmer  or  merchant. 
But  you,  Louis  ?" 

"  I  mean  to  be  a  minister,  as  my  mother 
always  desired." 

With  the  mention  of  that  beloved  name  he 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  127 

was  suddenly  overcome,  and  for  a  time  no 
one  broke  the  silence.  But  at  length  Andrew 
said : 

"  I  dare  say  your  mother  will  be  one  of  your 
hearers  when  your  hair  is  as  white  as  Father 
Legarme's,  and  you  lean  over  the  desk  as  he 
does,  as  if  ready  to  take  all  your  flock  to  your 
bosom.  Dear,  good  man  !  I  wonder  if  we  shall 
ever  see  him  again  ?" 

"  Certainly,  we  shall — in  heaven,  if  not 
before." 

Thus  beguiling  the  way,  they  travelled  on 
in  fancied  security.  Stopping  to  lunch,  they 
heard  some  travellers  discussing  the  dragoons. 

"  I  hear  they  are  at  La  Platte  on  their  mis- 
sionary work,"  remarked  one  of  them  with  a 
sneer. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  other,  "and  woe  to  those 
whom  they  catch  trying  to  escape !" 

Xow  the  boys  knew  that  La  Platte  was 
near  the  boundary-line,  and  that  it  was  a  town 
they  were  to  pass  through  in  approaching 
Charleroi.  In  a  sudden  alarm  they  concluded 
to   deviate   from   their   intended  route,   and 


128  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

approach  their  place  of  destination  by  a  cir- 
cuitous road. 

Fatal  decision !  which  even  before  the  day 
was  through  they  began  to  regret. 

"  I  fear  we  have  been  very  foolish,  and  only 
put  our  heads  into  the  lion's  mouth/'  said 
Andrew,  after  they  had  walked  some  time  in 
silence.  "  Did  you  observe  that  ill-favoured 
man  that  looked  at  us  so  sharply  while  we 
were  lunching  this  morning  ?" 

"  That  I  did ;  and  I  have  been  afraid  of 
encountering  him  ever  since." 

Entering  a  hostelrie,  they  were  seized  with 
a  dismal  foreboding  on  beholding  that  same 
ugly  face  appearing  at  another  door.  But 
they  concealed  their  alarm,  and  called  for 
supper  and  lodging,  meaning  to  escape  in  the 
night.  They  were  just  partaking  of  their 
frugal  meal  when  the  dreaded  man,  who  had 
stepped  out,  reappeared,  accompanied  by  four 
gendarmes,  and  pointing  to  the  lads,  they 
Were  speedily  arrested  and  brought  before  the 
governor,  who,  after  a  brief  examination,  com- 
mitted them  to  prison.     Sending  to  Paris  for 


FOR   THE   TFwUTH.  129 

orders,  he  received  a  rescript  requiring  them 
to  be  brought  to  trial,  not  only  for  heresy, 
but  also  for  being  found  on  the  frontiers  with- 
out a  passport  It  contained  directions,  how- 
ever, that  the  cure  should  labour  for  their  con- 
version, and,  if  successful,  that  they  should  be 
pardoned  and  sent  home. 

The  officer  to  whose  charge  they  were  com- 
mitted, though  a  Catholic,  did  not  believe  in 
persecution.  Reporting  to  his  prisoners  the 
rescript,  he  added  : 

"  Xow,  boys,  your  own  consciences  must  be 
your  guide.  All  I  have  to  say  is,  that  if  you 
recant  you  will  be  pardoned ;  but  if  not,  you 
will  probably  be  sent  to  the  galleys." 

u  Come  what  may,  we  will  never  betray 
our  faith,"  answered  Louis,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation. 

"  Then  the  Lord  be  merciful  to  you  !" 

The  following  morning  the  cure  commenced 
his  pious  labours.  But  it  did  not  take  him  long 
to  discover  that,  whatever  arguments  he  might 
advance,  the  b  )ys  invariably  managed  to  get  the 
better  of  him.   The  oftener  he  was  discomfited, 


130  HAETYES  AND  SDFFEEEES 

however,  the  greater  became  his  desire  for 
success.     For  he  reasoned  within  himself: 

"  These  boys  have  so  much  pluck  that  if 
they  were  only  on  the  right  side,  they  could 
argue  down  multitudes  of  heretics  as  I  can 
never  do." 

Besides,  he  had  become  really  interested  in 
them,  particularly  in  Louis. 

"  It's  of  no  use  to  discuss  any  longer,  for 
the  rogues  have  used  me  up.  And  they've 
read  all  my  books;  no,  they  haven't,"  he 
exclaimed,  as  a  sudden  thought  flashed  on 
him,  "  for  there's  the  very  best  of  them  they 
haven't  even  looked  at." 

And  a  smile  dawned  on  his  face  as  he 
thought  of  its  fair  pages.  After  pondering  a 
few  moments  in  silence,  he  broke  out : 

"Yes,  yes,  that  will  do  it;  and  if  one 
yields,  all  will.  She  has  become  greatly 
interested  in  their  conversion  from  hearing 
my  reports.  And  I'll  set  out  the  case  in  the 
morning  so  as  to  move  her  feelings.  I  don't 
see  any  objection  to  the  scheme.  The  Mon- 
trevel  family  is  very  respectable,  and  Louis 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  131 

is  a  handsome  fellow,  and  a  good  one  too,  as 
one  can  easily  see,  in  spite  of  his  damnable 
heresy.  And  for  that  his  parents  are  more 
to  blame  than  he." 

So  he  went  to  sleep  with  his  head  full  of 
this  new  and  subtle  style  of  argument. 

The  next  day  the  officer  ushered  into  their 
cell  a  young  and  pretty  girl,  bearing  a  basket 
of  grapes  from  her  uncle,  the  cur6. 

"Sit  down  and  talk  with  these  prisoners  a 
bit,"  said  the  officer,  "  for  they  are  separated 
from  their  friends,  and  know  not  what  is  to 
befal  them." 

The  damsel  had  a  tender  heart,  and,  though 
a  devout  Catholic,  she  pitied  these  misguided 
heretics.  So  in  a  friendly  way  she  began  to 
ask  questions,  happening  first  to  address 
Andrew. 

"  My  brother  and  I  are  orphans,"  the  lad 
replied,  "  and  have  no  brothers  or  sisters ;  but 
Louis  has  left  a  great  many  friends,  besides 
two  of  the  sweetest  little  sisters  you  ever  saw." 

"  Tell  me  about  them,  please." 

And  as  Louis,  touched  by  her  interest,  was 


132  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

drawn  to  speak  out  of  a  full  heart,  she  sat 
listening  with  flushed  cheek  and  tearful  eyes : 

"  Oh,  that  I  could  persuade  you  to  return 
to  the  Mother  Church  !" 

"  Do  you  think  the  means  she  is  employ- 
ing particularly  suited  to  win  us  ?" 

"  I  cannot  tell.  I  always  shudder  when  I 
hear  about  the  dragonnades,  but  uncle  says  it 
is  what  God  requires." 

"  But  we  don't  believe  in  such  a  God." 

Louise  crossed  herself  quickly:  "I  shall 
say  prayers  for  you  to  our  holy  Mother." 

"And  on  our  part,"  exclaimed  Louis, 
warmly,  "we  will  entreat  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  to  lead  you  into  that  truth  for  which 
we  are  ready  to  die." 

"  But  you  must  not.  I  cannot  believe  the 
blessed  Virgin  requires  such  a  sacrifice.  How 
I  wish  Father  La  Sallier  were  here,  for  he  is 
more  learned  than  my  uncle,  and  I  think  he 
could  convince  you  of  your  errors." 

"  Not  while  the  holy  Word  is  treasured  up 
in  our  hearts." 

"  Ah  !  there  wTas  the  beginning  of  your  sin — 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  133 

the  daring  to  read  and  think  for  yourselves.  I 
shall  have  to  say  Ave  Marias  for  you  all  night." 

"What  do  you  think  of  her?"  asked  An- 
drew, when  the  bright  apparition  had  van- 
ished. 

"  I  think  she  is  too  good  to  remain  a 
Roman  Catholic,  and  I  shall  pray  for  her 
conversion  as  earnestly  as  she  does  for  ours." 

For  several  successive  days  the  maiden  con- 
tinued to  visit  the  prison,  bringing  fresh 
offerings  of  fruits  and  flowers.  Xot  only 
this,  but  she  also  brought  books  which  she 
hoped  would  convince  them  of  their  errors. 
And  after  each  visit  she  went  home  more 
intent  on  their  conversion. 

"  Which  of  the  lads  do  you  say  the  most 
prayers  for  ?"  inquired  her  uncle  one  day. 

"  I  say  a  great  many  for  them  all,  but  the 
most,  dear  uncle,  for  Louis  Montrevel." 

"Why  for  him?" 

"  Because  he  is  so  unhappy  about  his  sweet 
sisters." 

"  What  wouldst  thou  give  to  win  him  to 
the  Church  ?" 

12 


134  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

"  Everything  I  have  in  the  world." 

"  And  yourself  too,  ma  fille  ?" 

The  girl  opened  her  innocent  eyes  wide 
upon  the  cur6. 

"  I  mean  would'st  thou  marry  him,  if  that 
would  bring  him  back?" 

The  bloom  on  her  face  deepened  as  she 
replied, 

"  But,  uncle,  he  has  not  a  thought  of  any 
such  thing." 

"  That  does  not  prove,  silly  girl,  that  he 
never  will  have.  All  I  want  to  know  is, 
what  thou  wouldst  say  if  he  should  ask  thee 
to  become  his  wife?" 

"  But,  uncle,  I  have  repeated  more  than 
three  hundred  Ave  Marias  for  him,  and  he 
does  not  begin  to  relent." 

"  That  is  not  to  the  purpose,  my  daughter. 
He  may  be  proof  against  thy  prayers,  and 
yet  be  unable  to  resist  thyself.  If  thou  canst 
save  him  and  the  others  too,  wilt  thou  do  it  ? 
that  is  the  question." 

"They  are  gallant  lads,  dear  uncle,  and 
well  worth  saving." 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  135 

"  I  see  how  it  is.  "Well,  to-morrc  w  I  will 
examine  into  their  progress." 

The  next  day  the  cure  went  to  the  prison, 
and  Louise  rather  reluctantly  accompanied 
him,  remaining,  however,  by  his  permission, 
in  the  keeper's  room. 

The  cur£  greeted  the  captives  kindly, 
handing  Louis  a  beautiful  bouquet. 

"That  is  from  my  poor  Louise,  whose 
heart  is  set  on  thy  coming  back  to  the 
Church." 

"  Give  her  my  thanks  for  her  great  kind- 
ness." 

"  And  what  else  shall  I  say?" 

"  Say  that  I  shall  never  forget  to  pray  for 
her." 

"Dost  think  her  a  comely  lass?" 

"  Indeed  I  do,  and,  what  is  better,  she  has 
a  tender  heart." 

"That  she  has,  and  a  pretty  fortune  to 
boot.  And  I  will  tell  you  what  it  is,  young 
man:  if  you  will  only  abjure  your  heresy,  I 
will  give  her  to  you  for  your  wife,  dowry 
and  all." 


136  MARTYRS   AND  SUFFERERS 

A  flush  of  surprise  passed  over  Louis'  face, 
and  for  a  moment  he  could  not  speak. 

"  I  mean  what  1  say ;  so  take  time  to  re- 
cover." 

"But  mademoiselle?" 

"  Have  no  fear.  She  will  not  shrink  from 
anything  that  will  effect  your  conversion." 

"  But  I  could  not  accept  such  a  sacrifice." 

"  Tush,  tush  !  Is  that  the  way  a  young  man 
talks  when  a  pretty  girl  is  willing  to  marry 
him?" 

"  That  is  not  all  I  would  say." 

"  Let  Louise  come  here,"  motioning  to  the 
officer. 

He  withdrew,  presently  returning  with  the 
maiden,  who  entered  with  an  air  of  great 
timidity. 

"  Can  you  find  it  in  your  heart  to  grieve 
this  damsel?" 

Rapidly  did  Louis  picture  the  two  futures 
spread  out  before  him.  On  the  one  hand, 
freedom,  wealth,  position,  and,  dearer  than 
all,  this  beautiful,  loving  maiden  for  his 
bride;   on  the  other  a  convict's  fate — igno- 


FOR   THE   TBUTH.  137 

rainy,  suffering,  death,  or  a  galley  slave  for 
life. 

And  he  was  only  eighteen.  Can  you  blame 
him  that  he  wavered  ?  Yet  it  was  but  for  a 
moment. 

"  I  thank  her  with  all  my  heart,  but  I 
should  not  be  worthy  of  her  if  I  should  re- 
nounce my  faith." 

Louise  looked  at  him  with  a  mute  appeal 
not  easy  to  resist,  but  he  only  added  : 

"  Believe  me,  mademoiselle,  it  is  not  that  I 
slight  you,  but  that  I  cannot  deny  my  Master." 

Her  uncle  would  have  expostulated,  but 
she  prevented  him,  and  offering  her  hand : 

"  I  would  have  saved  you  if  I  could — fare- 
well." 

Unobserved  by  the  cure,  he  took  a  little 
volume  from  his  bosom,  and,  giving  it  to 
her,  said  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Head  it  carefully  for  my  sake.  And  I 
pray  God  it  may  lead  you  into  the  truth." 

u  He  is  an  ingrate,"  growled  the  uncle  as 
he    strode    rapidly   home,    his    niece  being 
scarcely  able  to  keep  pace  with  him. 
12* 


138  MAETYES   AND   SUFFEEEES 

"Don't,  dear  uncle.  He  only  does  what 
he  thinks  right.  We  will  say  prayers  for 
him." 

"  He  shall  have  no  prayers  of  mine — the 
child  of  Satan !  To  think  of  his  flinging 
back  such  a  gift  in  my  face!  I  shall  de- 
nounce him  forthwith." 

Louise  made  no  reply  till  they  entered  the 
house,  when  she  set  upon  him  with  a  flood  of 
entreaties  to  persuade  him  to  connive  at  the 
escape  of  the  boys.  At  length  he  promised 
to  think  it  over,  and  not  to  decide  till  the 
next  morning. 

His  niece  retired  to  her  room,  but  not  to 
her  pillow.  Taking  the  little  book  out  of 
her  pocket,  she  read  on  its  title-page,  "  The 
New  Testament ." 

"  It  must  be  a  part  of  the  Bible,"  she  said 
to  herself,  "  for  I  have  heard  my  uncle  speak 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  I  suppose 
he  would  burn  it  if  I  told  him.  But  it  can 
do  no  harm  if  I  hide  it  under  my  pillow. 
Poor  Louis  !  for  his  sake  I  will  keep  it." 

Then,  kneeling  before  a  crucifix,  she  be- 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  139 

sought  the  holy  Mother  to  have  pity  on  these 
poor  heretics,  and  to  save  them  from  the 
dreadful  fate  that  threatened  them.  Toward 
morning,  wearied  out,  she  threw  herself  on  a 
couch,  and  falling  into  a  heavy  sleep,  did  not 
awake  till  daylight  was  streaming  into  the 
room  and  the  convent-bells  were  ringing  for 
matins.  She  hastened  down  stairs,  but  the 
cur6  had  eaten  his  breakfast  and  gone  out. 
She  was  oppressed  with  dread,  and  well  she 
might  be,  for  in  that  system  in  which  she 
trusted  there  were  no  bowels  of  mercies. 
Persecution  was  a  high  duty,  a  great  mission 
of  the  Church.  Heretofore  she  had  believed 
in  this  duty,  though  not  without  a  struggle. 
She  was  distressed  at  the  doubts  which  now 
began  to  creep  over  her.  So  there  she  sat, 
looking  out  of  the  window  with  a  foreboding 
heart,  which  proved  only  too  true  a  prophet. 
Her  uncle  had  hastened  to  the  authorities  to 
denounce  the  three  boys  as  hardened  repro- 
bates, under  the  dominion  of  the  devil. 

The   day  of  trial  was  not   long  deferred. 
The   youthful   prisoners   appeared  in   court, 


140  MARTYRS   AND    SUFFERERS 

and  being  found  guilty  of  the  charges  brought 
against  thern,  received  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion. But  before  this  sentence  could  be  exe- 
cuted, it  was  necessary  that  it  should  be  con- 
firmed by  the  Parliament  of  Tournay.  So 
the  prisoners  were  bound  together  with  cords 
and  marched  thither.  Here  they  were  com- 
mitted to  a  dungeon,  their  trial  being  de- 
ferred that  their  conversion  might  once  more 
be  attempted.  The  arguments  employed, 
however,  were  somewhat  anomalous — the  logic 
of  pain,  the  spiritual  efforts  of  this  cur6,  in 
marked  contrast  with  the  persuasions  of  love 
in  the  last  experiment,  consisting  in  inquiries, 
from  time  to  time,  whether  they  were  not 
weary  of  suffering. 

If  they  were  not,  it  certainly  was  no  fault 
of  their  jaikrs.  Rotten  straw,  filled  writh 
vermin,  was  the  couch  on  which  they  lay 
starving  for  days  and  weeks,  the  scantiest  al- 
lowance of  miserable  bread  being  thrown  to 
them  through  the  grating.  Here  the  poor 
boys  wasted  away  without  the  touch  of  any 
loving    hand — without   a   syllable   of   cheer 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  141 

from  any  human  being.  Yet  they  had  but 
to  utter  one  word  of  abjuration  and  their 
prison-doors  would  fly  open. 

Wonderful  was  the  faith  that  preserved 
them  from  uttering  that  word — that  gave 
them  such  lofty  heroism  when  so  near  starva- 
tion ! 

But  temptation  was  to  come  to  them  in 
still  another  form.  Two  additional  prisoners 
were  one  day  shut  into  their  dungeon,  whom 
they  were  surprised  to  recognize  as  old  school- 
mates, who  had  been  arrested,  like  themselves, 
for  the  crime  of  worshipping  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  their  conscience.  The  faith 
of  these  comrades,  howrever,  was  not  proof 
against  the  trials  into  which  it  had  brought 
them.  They  could  sacrifice  much  for  their  re- 
ligion, but  not  everything.  In  their  case  the 
blessed  seed  had  fallen  upon  stony  ground  ; 
and  though  it  had  sprung  up,  yet  for  want 
of  root  it  could  not  resist  the  burning  heat 
of  persecution. 

The  Mirecourt  boys  saw  their  vacillation, 
and  earnestly  implored  them  to  remain  stead- 


142  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

fast.  It  was  in  vain.  They  wept  over  their 
own  weakness,  but  they  yielded  and  lost  the 
martyr's  crown. 

At  length  came  the  rescript  from  the  min- 
ister of  state,  conveying  the  king's  decree. 
The  parliament  was  convoked.  The  youthful 
prisoners,  pale  and  emaciated  almost  to 
skeletons,  were  brought  forth  from  their 
miserable  dungeon  and  placed  in  the  dock. 
Then  the  judge  put  on  his  black  cap  and 
read  their  sentence : 

"  You,  Louis  Montrevel,  and  Andrew  and 
Henry  Oster,  convicted  of  being  Huguenots, 
and  of  having  attempted  to  leave  the  king- 
dom for  the  purpose  of  securing  freedom  in 
your  detestable  heiesy,  by  the  order  of  our 
most  gracious  majesty,  Louis  XIV.,  I  do 
hereby  condemn  to  the  galleys  for  the  re- 
mainder of  your  natural  life." 

What  a  blow  to  fall  on  those  young  heads ! 
Brave  as  they  were,  and  hard  as  they  had 
struggled  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  worst, 
their  hearts  quailed  with  dread,  while  drops 
of  agony  stood  on  their  pallid  faces. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  143 

Observing  their  emotion,  the  judge  gave 
them  one  more  opportunity  to  retrieve  their 
fate.  But  they  instantly  repelled  the  propo- 
sition ;  they  could  not  deny  their  Lord. 

So  the  obstinate  heretics  were  removed  to 
another  city,  where  the  gang  was  to  be 
formed.  And  here  they  were  cast  into  a 
filthy  hole,  where  no  ray  of  light  ever  pene- 
trated, and  where  were  crowded  more  than 
thirty  miserable  ruffians,  convicted  of  every 
sort  of  wickedness  and  crime. 

Dreadful  companionship  was  this  for  the 
pure-minded  boys  !  Assailed  on  every  hand 
with  jeers  and  taunts  and  gibes,  while  their 
ears  were  filled  with  obscene  ribaldry  and 
jests  and  horrid  profanity,  they  could  only 
lift  up  their  hearts  in  silent  prayer  to  Him 
who  was  made  perfect  through  suffering. 

At  length  the  gang  was  completed,  and 
being  chained  two  and  two,  they  were 
marched  together  to  Dunkirk.  Language 
cannot  describe  the  sufferings  of  this  route. 
We  have  all  shuddered  at  the  appalling  ac- 
counts of  "  the  middle  passage"  on  board  the 


144  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

African  slavers.  But  this  passage  could  not 
have  exceeded,  in  horrors,  the  fearful  march 
of  the  galley-slaves  to  their  destination.  Here 
were  congregated  the  basest,  most  profligate 
characters — a  company  of  hardened  convicts, 
"  topfull  of  direst  cruelty" — brutal,  blas- 
phemous, fiend-like.  Shrieks,  groans  and 
dreadful  imprecations  were  freely  intermin- 
gled with  the  frequent  crack  of  the  blood- 
bringing  lash. 

What  must  this  scene  have  been  to  those 
virtuous  and  high-minded  boys  ?  To  add  the 
last  drop  to  their  full  cup,  they  were  from 
this  time  separated  from  one  another.  Poor 
Louis  was  chained  to  the  very  vilest  of  that 
vile  set — a  scoffing  miscreant  who  had  been 
guilty  of  every  species  of  crime,  and  who, 
having  twice  escaped  from  the  galleys  and 
been  retaken,  was  now  on  his  way  there  once 
more.  As  may  be  conceived,  he  was  in  a 
man-hating  and  God-defying  mood. 

To  be  thus  bound  to  a  mass  of  loathsome 
moral  corruption,  a  body  of  living  death, 
while  his  blood  was  chilled  with  the  foul  Ian- 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  145 

guage,  and  awful  blasphemies  and  curses 
poured  continually  into  his  ear,  was  indeed  a 
trial  under  which  the  boy's  spirit  quailed  and 
wellnigh  sank.     Then  he  cried  unto  God  : 

"  Deliver  me  out  of  the  mire,  and  let  me 
not  sink  :  let  me  be  delivered  from  them  that 
hate  me,  and  out  of  the  deep  waters. 

"  Let  not  the  water-flood  overflow  me, 
neither  let  the  deep  swallow  me  up,  and  let 
not  the  pit  shut  her  mouth  upon  me. 

"  Hide  not  thy  face  from  thy  servant ;  for 
I  am  in  trouble :  hear  me  speedily." 

And  the  Lord  heard  his  supplications  and 
strengthened  him  out  of  Zion.  There  came 
to  his  mind  consoling  promises : 

"Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord;  trust 
also  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass." 

"To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to 
eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  paradise  of  God." 

Louis  thought  of  his  Saviour's  patience 
under  the  indignities  heaped  upon  him,  of 
his  prayers  for  his  persecutors,  of  his  infinite 
pity  for  sinners.     And  there  was  kindled  in 

13 


146  MARTYRS   AND   SUFFERERS 

his  heart  a  tender  compassion  and  an  intense 
yearning  for  the  salvation  of  this  wretched 
being  with  whom  he  was  so  closely  inter- 
linked. This  enabled  him  to  bear  all  his 
abuse  with  a  divine  meekness  which  at  first 
only  exasperated  the  wretch  to  greater  vio- 
lence. 

Thus  with  aching  limbs  and  bleeding  feet 
did  this  miserable  gang  march  side  by  side 
on  their  dreary  road,  being  cruelly  beaten 
whenever  from  weariness  their  steps  faltered. 
Miserably  fed  by  day,  at  night  they  were 
lodged  in  some  dismal  outhouse,  where — 
worse  off  than  the  beasts — they  had  not  even 
straw  on  which  to  lie  down,  while  their  inhu- 
man driver  seemed  ever  on  the  alert  to  invent 
new  modes  of  discomfort  and  torture. 

Under  all  these  trials  and  provocations, 
such  a  wonderful  patience  and  meekness  did 
Louis  exhibit,  and  so  kind  and  gentle  was  his 
treatment  of  his  fellow-convict,  that  at  length, 
as  the  constant  trickling  of  water  will  wear 
away  even  the  granite,  so  that  obdurate  nature, 
seemingly  hardar  than  rock,  began  to  soften. 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  147 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,"  he  broke  out  one 
day:  "I  can  stand  out  against  'most  any- 
body or  anything,  but"  (with  a  dreadful 
oath)  "I  can't,  somehow,  seem  to  stand 
against  such  an  innocent  lamb  as  you.  I've 
been  thinking  over  those  days,  so  long  ago, 
when  my  mother  used  to  teach  me  my  prayers 
to  the  Virgin.  Many's  the  time  she's  led  me  to 
the  grand  cathedral,  and  taught  me  to  sign 
the  cross  on  my  forehead  writh  holy  water, 
the  more's  the  pity.     For  when  I  found  out 

what  d d  fellows  the  priests  were,  with 

all  their  flummeries  and  falsehoods,  and 
making  money  by  cart-loads  out  of  people's 
sins,  then  I  gave  up  attending  mass;  and 
finally  I  broke  away  from  everything  good, 
till  I  came  to  believe  that  God  was  nothing 
but  a  bugbear  to  scare  children  with.  So 
now  here  I  am,  at  the  bottom  of  everything." 

There  was  a  touch  of  feeling  in  the  man's 
voice,  which  made  Louis'  heart  beat  quicker. 
And  as  they  travelled  on  he  told  him  the 
wonderful  story  of  the  Man  of  Sorrows,  and 
of  the  dark  depths  into  which  he  descended 


148  MARTYRS   AND  SUFFERERS 

for  the  redemption  of  man.  He  told  him  of 
his  holy  life,  his  mingling  with  the  vilest,  his 
patience  under  provocation,  his  agony  in  the 
garden,  and  death  upon  the  cross,  with  his 
betrayal  by  one  disciple,  and  his  cruel  deser- 
tion by  the  others.  Nor  did  he  forget  his 
pardon  of  the  dying  thief. 

As  Duress  listened  his  heart  melted  within 
him,  while  a  tear  or  two  slowly  rolled  down 
his  cheeks. 

"  Oh,  why  could  I  not  have  heard  all  this 
before?"  he  exclaimed  in  a  broken  voice. 

And  so  the  long  days  passed  away,  the 
hoary  sinner  drinking  in  blessed  teachings 
from  the  lips  of  the  earnest  boy. 

Louis  had  become  so  reduced  from  his 
long  sufferings,  with  a  scarcity  of  food,  that 
his  little  remaining  strength  was  rapidly 
failing. 

"  I  don't  believe  I  shall  be  able  to  go  on  in 
the  morning,"  he  said  to  Duress  one  night, 
when  they  had  stopped  for  lodging  in  a 
crumbling  barn;  "and  they  will  have  to 
leave  me  here  to  die  of  starvation." 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  149 

"  We  don't  do  that,  rny  larnb.  Here  is  my 
last  ration,  which  I  don't  want." 

Louis  protested,  but  was  finally  persuaded 
to  swallow  it ;  and  dry  and  hard  as  was  the 
morsel,  it  somewhat  revived  him. 

"  Xow,  if  you  can  lay  your  head  on  me 
you  may,  perhaps,  catch  a  nap  or  two.  I 
know  I'm  not  fit  company  for  such  a  lamb, 
and  I'm  not  over  clean,  but  I  shall  make  a 
better  pillow  than  the  floor." 

Touched  by  his  kindness,  Louis  complied 
and  soon  fell  into  a  sound  slumber.  But 
when  in  the  morning  came  the  summons  to 
march,  he  was  unable  to  stand. 

"  You  will  have  to  leave  me,  Duress." 

"  I'll  stay  and  starve  with  you  first.  But 
you  keep  still  and  I'll  fix  it." 

When  the  driver  of  the  gang  came  along, 
Duress  made  a  sign  that  he  had  something  to 
communicate. 

*  What's  the  row  ?"  asked  the  man  as  he 
approached. 

"  Look  a-here  ;  that's  one  of  the  Huguenot 
cubs,  and  he's  going  to  give  us  the  dodge. 

13* 


150  MART  YES   AND   SUFFERERS 

Now  if  you  want  to  get  him  to  the  galleys, 
I'll  just  take  him  there  in  spite  of  himself. 
So  give  us  the  word,  and  I'll  grab  him  fast/' 
with  a  sprinkling  of  oaths  all  along. 

" Serve 'm  right — the  hated  cub!  Yes, 
grab  him  and  welcome,  only  your  chain  must 
have  a  longer  pull." 

When  this  was  done,  Duress,  roughly  catch- 
ing up  the  boy :  "  Now  open  your  mouth  if 
you  dare." 

The  driver  and  his  subalterns,  who  had 
gathered  round,  broke  into  a  hoarse  laugh, 
and  with  the  crack  of  the  whip  and  a  volley 
of  imprecations  the  marching  recommenced. 

"  I  had  to  sham,  or  the  wretch  would  have 
left  you  there  to  die.  And  I  had  to  swear 
too,  or  I  couldn't  have  deceived  him,  though 
I  knew  'twould  hurt  your  feelings.  But 
you'll  overlook  it." 

u  It  is  the  Master,  Duress,  whom  it  offends, 
and  you  must  ask  forgiveness  of  him." 

"  Well,  I'll  try  my  best  to  break  it  off, 
though  it  comes  as  natural  as  my  breath.  I 
dunno  as  I'm  doing  you  any  kindness  to  take 


To  the  Galleys. 


Page  151. 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  151 

you  along,  but  I  can't  spare  my  little  priest 
yet  a  while." 

Most  tenderly  Duress  carried  the  boy,  who, 
from  sheer  exhaustion,  fell  asleep  on  his 
shoulder.  Whenever  the  driver  or  any  of 
his  underlings  passed  by,  they  would  chuckle, 
as  much  as  to  say,  "  That's  a  good  one." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  have  tired  you  out,  Duress," 
said  Louis,  on  awakening  from  his  long  nap, 
refreshed  and  able  to  bear  his  own  weight 
once  more. 

"  Bless  your  heart !  you're  nothing  but  skin 
and  bone.  I've  been  thinking  how  much 
better  a  load  I  had  than  most  of  the  things 
I've  lugged  ;  a  body  murdered,  for  instance." 
But  seeing  Louis  involuntarily  shudder :  "  I'm 
a  brute  from  letting  on  this  way  to  such  an 
innocent  lamb." 

At  length  the  toilsome  march  was  over, 
and  Louis  Montrevel  and  his  new  friend  were 
entered  as  slaves  upon  one  of  the  six  galleys 
stationed  at  the  port  of  Dunkirk. 

The  French  galley  was  a  vessel  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and  forty  wide. 


152  MAETYES  AND  SUFFEEEES 

On  each  side  were  twenty-five  benches,  to 
every  one  of  which  was  attached  a  long, 
heavy  oar,  which  was  pulled  by  six  convicts 
chained  by  the  leg  to  a  bench.  There  were 
thus  three  hundred  of  these  rowers  to  each 
galley.  About  fifty  free  marines  worked  the 
sails  and  managed  the  vessel.  And  in  addi- 
tion were  a  hundred  soldiers,  with  a  number 
of  officers  for  general  command  and  for  the 
custody  of  the  slaves. 

The  galley  had  at  her  bow  five  guns  rang- 
ing from  eighteen  to  thirty-six  pounders.  Her 
mode  of  attack  was  to  bear  down  heavily  with 
her  oars,  so  as  to  drive  her  prow  into  the 
enemy's  stern,  and  then,  firing  her  guns,  to 
board  him  with  her  soldiers  and  marines.  A 
part  of  the  guns  were  always  kept  charged 
and  pointed  at  the  convicts,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent their  taking  part  with  the  enemy,  and 
to  suppress  mutiny.  But  as  mowing  down 
the  rowers  would  leave  the  vessel  powerless, 
these  galleys  were  mainly  used  for  coasting  and 
for  cutting  off  stragglers,  though  occasionally 
they  were  employed  for  conveying  official  per- 


FOR   THE  TRUTH.  153 

sons  to  a  distant  port.  Their  principal  use, 
however,  was  as  a  penal  infliction  for  those 
convicted  of  capital  crimes,  such  as  murder, 
burglary  and  Protestantism. 

The  overseer,  or  slave-driver,  was  called  Le 
Comite,  and  the  two  inferiors  under  him,  Les 
Sous  Comites.  Their  badge  of  office  was  the 
cowhide,  to  the  lavish  use  of  which  they 
were  urged  by  the  superior  officers  when  a 
greater  rate  of  speed  was  desired.  On  the 
naked  backs  of  these  poor  fellows,  labouring 
at  the  oar  and  stripped  from  the  waist 
upward,  thick  and  fast  would  fall  the  dread- 
ful blows,  bringing  away  strips  of  skin,  and 
followed  by  the  shrieks  of  the  victims,  as  the 
blood  flowed  from  their  lacerated  flesh. 

So  far  as  the  hated  Huguenots  were  con- 
cerned, all  this  was  neither  more  nor  less 
than  the  long  iron  arms  of  the  Inquisition 
reaching  out  to  crush  them,  although  under 
the  disguise  of  civil  law.  Such  degrading 
bondage !  such  incessant  toil !  such  cruel  task- 
masters ! — separated  from  all  refining  as  well 
as  religious  influences,  and  subjected  to  the 


154  MART  YES   AND  SUFFERERS 

vilest  companionship,  the  most  loathsome 
associations ! — what  wonder,  if  under  this  con- 
stant wear  of  body  and  soul,  the  faith  of  some 
should  at  length  give  away  ? 

Nurtured  by  a  tender  mother  in  the  bosom 
of  a  refined  and  affectionate  family,  Louis  was 
ill  prepared  for  the  dreadful  scenes  to  which 
he  was  now  introduced.  As  the  future 
spread  out  gloomily  before  him,  no  wonder 
that  hot  tears  flowed  from  his  eyes. 

"  Cheer  up,  messmate  !"  said  a  voice  behind 
him,  and  turning  his  head  he  saw  Duress, 
from  whom  he  had  temporarily  been  separated, 
but  who  was  now  chained  to  the  same  bench. 

"  You'll  hardly  thank  me  for  bringing  you 
here,  my  lamb.  But  since  here  you  are,  I 
hope  I  shall  find  some  chance  of  easing  your 
dreadful  burden,  if  ever  so  little." 

"  Thank  you,  Duress,  but  I  cannot  endure 
looking  forward  to  years  spent  in  this  dread- 
ful place." 

"  I  don't  believe  it'll  be  many  years,  for 
though  you've  got  a  tough  spirit,  your  weak 
body  can  never  long  stand  this  hard  work. 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  155 

But  have  you  seen  that  poor  old  fellow  on 
the  bench  before  us? — no,  not  the  one  you 
are  looking  at,  but  that  other  with  white  hair, 
and  just  such  a  patient  look  as  you  Huguenots 
all  wear.     I'll  be  bound  he's  one  of  you." 

Louis  fixed  his  eyes  in  the  direction  pointed 
out,  and  having  gazed  intently  a  few  minutes, 
exclaimed  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Why,  that  is  Father  Legarme.  My  God !" 
lifting  his  eyes  to  heaven,  "  have  mercy  on 
the  holy  man !" 

It  was  not  long  before  he  had  a  chance  to 
make  himself  known  to  his  good  pastor,  who 
soon  told  him  his  sad  story.  It  seems  that 
after  being  arrested,  convicted  of  heresy  and 
condemned  to  death,  his  sentence  was  com- 
muted. So  here  he  was  in  chains  as  a  galley- 
slave. 

It  was  one  of  the  saddest  things  in  Louis' 
sad  life  to  see  this  venerable  patriarch  tug- 
ging at  the  oars  by  day,  and  at  night  cower- 
ing for  sleep  under  his  rude  bench.  He 
felt  as  if  he  would  gladly  have  performed 
his  tasks  and  borne    his  stripes.      Alas!  it 


156  MAETYES  AND  SUFFEEEES 

was  almost  more  than  he  could  do  to  endure 
his  own. 

Apart  from  the  liability  to  those  occasional 
extra  labours  which  involved  indescribable 
suffering,  the  ordinary  condition  of  these  un- 
happy beings  was  painful  in  the  extreme. 
Constantly  chained  to  the  bench  at  which 
they  sat  by  day,  and  under  which  they  slept 
by  night,  exposed  to  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
the  elements,  covered  with  vermin,  scantily 
clothed,  miserably  fed,  and  degraded  almost 
below  the  brutes  by  the  treatment  they  re- 
ceived, they  were  compelled  by  sheer  force  of 
the  whip  to  render  an  amount  of  work  at  the 
oar  which  under  no  other  system  could  have 
been  extracted  from  the  human  muscles. 

Such  were  the  toils  and  such  the  sufferings 
in  which  Father  Legarme,  Louis  Montrevel 
and  Duress  were  now  intimately  associated, 
the  two  latter  being  chained  to  the  same 
bench.  The  consoling  passages  from  the 
Divine  Word  which  the  boy  repeated  to  his 
companion  in  their  chance  moments  of  inter- 
course  fell   upon   his   thirsty   spirit  with   a 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  157 

quickening  and  comforting  power,  while  the 
occasional  counsels  of  the  aged  pastor  were 
eagerly  treasured  up.  And  a  blessed  comfort 
it  was  to  the  two  older  Christians  to  see  Christ 
formed  more  and  more  distinctly  in  the  life 
of  the  late  hardened  reprobate. 

Day  after  day — month  after  month — year 
after  year — no  outward  change  in  the  life 
of  these  worn,  oppressed,  yet  trusting  con- 
victs !  But  He  who  looks  upon  the  hearts 
saw  that  they,  each  and  all,  were  fast  ripening 
for  heaven. 

It  was  wonderful  that  Father  Legarme's 
strength  had  held  out  so  many  years.  Of 
late,  however,  Louis  and  Duress  had  noticed 
a  failure  in  his  powers  of  endurance. 

It  was  one  of  those  days  of  oppressive  heat 
in  the  month  of  August  when,  ordinarily, 
labour  was  made  light  as  possible.  But  as 
the  officers  desired  to  reach  a  certain  port 
with  the  utmost  despatch,  commands  were 
given  for  a  twelve  hours'  pull  without  a  mo- 
ment's intermission.  In  order  to  accomplish 
this   the  comites,  from  time  to  time,  would 

14 


158  MAETYES  AND   SUFFEEEES 

put  into  the  mouths  of  the  rowers  pieces  of 
bread  dipped  in  wine,  which  they  did  while 
they  were  pulling,  so  as  to  prevent  the  neces- 
sity of  their  dropping  the  oar. 

The  crack  of  the  whip,  the  shrieks  and 
yells  of  the  bleeding  victims,  the  awful  oaths 
of  the  comites  and  the  shouts  of  the  officers 
urging  them  on — what  a  scene  of  horrors  was 
there  presented  !  And  how  did  Louis'  heart 
ache  for  Father  Legarme  toiling  thus  in  the 
burning  sun ! 

"  The  old  father  won't  last  over  for  another 
such  day  as  this,"  said  Duress  in  a  low  voice 
to  Louis,  to  which  he  could  only  answer  by  a 
deep  sigh. 

It  was  toward  the  very  last  of  the  passage 
that  the  good  pastor's  strength  finally  gave  way, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  slacken  his  efforts. 
The  comite,  provoked  beyond  measure  to 
lose  his  services  at  such  a  juncture,  rained  on 
him  blows  like  hail,  till  the  old  man  dropped 
in  a  swoon.  There  he  lay  without  conscious- 
ness or  motion  till  they  reached  their  port. 
Then  the  whistle  was  sounded;  and  a  dose  of 


FOR  THE  TRUTH.  159 

opium  being  administered  all  round  to  ensure 
sound  slumber  as  a  preparation  for  the  toils 
of  the  coming  day,  the  tired  oarsmen  dropped 
under  their  benches. 

The  moment  their  comites  were  out  of  the 
way,  both  Louis  and  Duress,  exhausted  as 
they  were,  sprang  fqrward  to  see  if  any  life 
might  be  lingering  in  that  poor  wreck  of 
a  body.  When  they  found  that  he  still 
breathed,  they  almost  regretted  that  all  was 
not  over. 

"  Poor  old  fellow !"  said  Duress,  sorrow- 
fully ;  "  I  thought  he'd  have  got  inside  the 
bright  gates  this  time  surely,  but  here  he  is 
still,  the  more's  the  pity.  Since  he's  alive, 
though,  I'm  bound  to  take  care  of  him.  But 
you  must  go  straight  back,  my  lamb,  for  the 
comites,  one  or  the  other  of  them,  may  pass 
along  here  any  minute.  And  if  they  should 
nab  you,  'twould  be  a  hard  case." 

"  But  I  must  stay  and  help  you." 

"  'Twont  do,  messmate.  Don't  you  remem- 
ber the  threat  they  made  the  last  time  you 
helped  him  out  of  a  swoon?    Besides,  you 


160  MARTYRS  AND  SUFFERERS 

could  do  nothing  for  him  which  I  can't  do, 
for  I'm  an  old  hand  in  these  cases." 

"  But  you  are  in  as  much  danger  as  I." 

"You  let  me  alone,  my  lamb,  and  give 
heed  to  my  words.  You  can  see  and  hear 
everything  from  your  bench,  and  will  be 
within  call  if  I  want  you,  while  now  you're 
only  in  the  way.  So,  it  you  don't  want  to 
distress  me,  march!" 

All  this  time  both  of  them  had  been  chaf- 
ing the  old  man's  limbs,  but  thus  entreated, 
Louis  tenderly  laid  down  his  hand  and  with- 
drew. When  Father  Legarme's  pulses  grew 
a  little  stronger,  Duress  tore  pieces  from  his 
shirt,  and  dipping  them  in  water  laid  them 
gently  on  his  inflamed  wounds,  after  which 
he  fed  him  from  his  own  scanty  allowance. 

"  It  is  of  little  use,  my  son,"  said  the  good 
father,  trying  to  smile,  "to  patch  up  this 
poor  tenement,  which  is  fast  falling  to  pieces. 
I  am  sorry  not  to  bear  my  dying  testimony 
to  my  Master's  faithfulness  before  all  these 
poor  creatures,  but  he  knows  I  have  the 
will.     Do  all  you  can  for  my  beloved  Louis, 


FOE   THE   TPwUTH.  161 

and  tell  him  that  God  will  never  suffer  him 
to  be  tempted  above  what  he  is  able." 

"  That  I  will,  but  he  himself  is  listening 
to  every  word  you  say." 

At  this  point  Louis  came  forward,  and 
pressing  his  lips  to  the  trembling  hand  of  his 
beloved  friend,  said,  as  distinctly  as  his  sobs 
would  allow : 

"  Pray  for  me  once  more,  my  father  !" 

The  dying  man,  having  offered  up  a  few 
broken  but  fervent  petitions,  then  gave  them 
his  parting  blessing,  when  Duress  insisted  on 
Louis'  leaving  them.  Thus  driven  away,  he 
stole  back  to  his  station,  and  leaning  against 
the  bench,  looked  gloomily  around  him. 

It  was  a  sad  picture  that  met  his  eye. 
Under  the  galley-benches  were  huddled, 
one  over  another,  the  exhausted  convicts, 
buried  in  the  deathlike  slumber  of  opium. 
Many  of  them  had  dropped  down  in  their 
weariness,  without  stopping  to  put  on  any 
covering.  And  there  in  the  bright  moonlight 
he  could  distinctly  see  their  backs  gashed  and 
bleeding  from  the  merciless  cowhide,   while 


162  MARTYRS   AND  SUFFERERS 

the  mild  queen  of  heaven  looked  down  pity- 
ingly on  this  spectacle  of  woe. 

"  Is  this  persecution  to  continue  for  ever  ?" 
he  said  to  himself. 

It  was  indeed  a  dreary  future  that  stretched 
away  before  him.  He  had  often  felt  that 
martyrdom  would  be  a  blessed  exchange  for 
his  present  existence.  In  a  fearful  crisis,  such 
as  occurred  under  the  pressure  of  inquisitorial 
tortures  or  in  confronting  a  violent  death,  the 
excitement  sometimes  occasioned  a  rallying  of 
all  the  vital  forces  of  body  and  mind,  which 
sustained  and  elevated  the  soul  to  a  pitch  of 
heavenly  rapture. 

But  these  days  of  degrading,  bitter,  hope- 
less servitude — slowly  revolving,  one  after 
another,  in  what  seemed  an  interminable 
cycle ;  these  days  of  sickening  toil  and  abuse, 
in  which  the  spirit  was  fettered  with  chains 
dragging  it  in  the  dust;  days  when  the 
physical  frame  became  too  weary  and  worn 
for  the  utterance  of  prayer,  while  no  blessed 
Sabbath  rest  ever  came  to  strengthen  and 
refresh  ; — oh  it  was  this  lingering  martyrdom 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  163 

of  the  soul,  wearing  away,  little  by  little,  all 
its  vital  forces,  it  was  this  which  Louis  felt 
he  had  not  courage  longer  to  endure. 

"  Will  the  Lord  cast  off  for  ever  ?"  he  cried 
out  in  his  agony,  "  and  will  he  be  favorable 
no  more  ?" 

"  Is  his  mercy  clean  gone  for  ever  ?  doth  his 
promise  fail  for  evermore  ?" 

"  Hath  God  forgotten  to  be  gracious  ?  hath 
he  in  anger  shut  up  his  tender  mercies  ?" 

Then  stole  in  upon  him  terrible  question- 
ings, such  as  the  tempter  well  understands 
how  to  suggest : 

"  Who  knows  that  there  is  a  God  ?  If 
there  was,  and  he  was  benevolent  as  had  been 
represented,  would  he  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the 
pleadings  of  his  children  ?  Would  he  suffer 
his  chosen  ones  to  be  hunted  from  place  to 
place  like  wild  beasts,  and  to  become  the 
very  offscouring  of  the  earth  ?" 

Thoughts  of  the  tender-hearted  Louise  also 
came  to  him,  and  of  her  earnest  efforts  to 
save  him  from  this  dreadful  doom. 

"  And  have  I  sacrificed  all  my  earthly  pros- 


164  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 

pects  for  a  mere  fable  ?"  he  exclaimed  in 
bitterness. 

These  doubts  and  questionings  ran  riot  in 
his  bewildered  mind,  ploughing  deep  fur- 
rows in  the  very  centre  of  his  being.  In  the 
midst  of  this  conflict,  while  great  drops  of 
anguish  stood  on  his  forehead,  and  such  rend- 
ing sobs  broke  forth  as  no  bodily  torture  had 
been  able  to  force  from  him,  he  suddenly 
catches  the  clear  tones  of  Father  Legarme : 

"  Thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us  the 
victory,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ !" 

These  words  of  the  dying  martyr  broke  the 
tempter's  hold.  As  at  the  approach  of  sun- 
light the  moles  and  bats  and  all  the  monsters 
of  darkness  flee  to  their  hiding-places,  so,  at 
this  single  glimpse  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
did  all  his  evil  thoughts  melt  and  vanish  away. 
What  a  change  had  passed  over  everything ! 
As  he  thought  of  his  dismantled  home,  of  his 
noble  father  and  mother,  his  brothers  and 
little  sisters,  and  of  the  scattered  flock  into 
which  the  hungry  wolves  had  fastened  their 
bloody  fangs,  this  passage  was  recalled  to  him : 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  165 

"  These  are  they  which  canie  out  of  great 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes  and 
made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

"  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither 
thirst  any  more ;  neither  shall  the  sun  light 
on  them,  nor  any  heat. 

"  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead 
them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters;  and 
God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes." 

Then  he  thought  of  his  tried  friend,  Duress, 
whom  he  had  led  to  Christ,  who  for  years 
had  borne  faithful  witness  to  the  truth,  and 
who  at  this  moment  stood  unflinchingly  at 
the  post  of  danger.  Was  it  not  worth  all  his 
sufferings  to  bring  to  Christ  one  such  soul  ? 

As  he  looked  round  once  more  on  that 
pitiable  sight  which  had  lately  harrowed  his 
soul  to  madness — the  sight  of  wretched  con- 
victs, whose  degrading  bondage  and  fearful 
sufferings  were  uncheered  by  any  light  from 
the  great  future — there  came  a  voice  from  the 
infinite  heights : 


166  MARTYRS   ASTD  SUFFERERS 

"  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but 
thou  shalt  know  hereafter.  Trust  to  infinite 
love,  and  one  day  all  these  discords  shall  be 
harmonized." 

"  I  can,  I  do  trust,"  he  responded,  while 
every  heart-beat  uttered, 

"  Thy'  will,  O  God,  not  mine,  be  done !" 

An  ineffable  calm  stole  over  him,  while  the 
bitter  sorrows  of  the  past  and  of  that  future 
which  had  seemed  interminable,  to  his  now 
cleared  vision  appeared  only  a  light  affliction, 
which  is  but  for  a  moment,  working  out  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory. 

The  long  night  had  dragged  through  its 
appointed  hours.  The  rising  sun  was  just 
tinging  the  waters  with  a  faint  glow.  It 
looked  down  upon  Louis  Montrevel  leaning 
quietly  against  his  bench,  his  pale  face  illu- 
mined with  celestial  light — a  face  which  at 
that  moment  no  one  would  have  taken  for 
that  of  a  galley-slave. 

It  looked  also  upon  the  dying  martyr  and 
upon  his  homely,  faithful  nurse.     As  Duress 


FOR  THE   TRUTH.  167 

bent  over  to  moisten  his  parched  mouth,  those 
white  lips  faltered  out : 

"  Sing  to  me." 

And  the  rough  convict  in  a  low  voice  sang 
one  of  the  sweet  Huguenot  hymns  he  had 
learned  of  Louis. 

Just  then  the  comite  passed  along.  But 
Duress  did  not  pause  in  his  song. 

"What  are  you  here  for?  Stop  your 
infernal  noise  and  back  to  your  bench." 

"  Don't  you  see  the  good  man's  dying  ?  So 
I  must  stay  here  and  try  to  ease  his  passage 
over  Jordan." 

"  Over  to  purgatory,  you  mean,"  replied  the 
comite  savagely ;  adding,  with  a  dreadful  oath, 
"  We'll  soon  send  you  after  him." 

At  the  sound  of  that  discordant  voice,  with 
a  startled  look  Father  Legarme  opened  his 
eyes. 

"He's  away  now,"  whispered  Duress 
tenderly,  "  and  your  soul  can  depart  in  peace." 

The  old  man  looked  upward,  exclaiming : 

"Glorious  Saviour!  Come,  Lord,  come 
quickly !" 


168  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS 

One  moment  more  and  he  had  passed  into 
the  celestial  city.  Duress  folded  those  wasted 
hands,  and  then  wiping  his  eyes  with  the 
back  of  his  bronzed  hand,  returned  to  his 
post,  saying  to  Louis  : 

"  The  Lord  take  care  of  thee,  my  lamb,  for 
I  shall  soon  follow  the  good  father." 

An  hour  had  passed.  The  whistle  had 
roused  all  hands,  and  the  body  of  the  martyr 
had  been  flung  into  the  sea. 

"  The  bastinado  for  Duress  I"  shouted  the 
comite. 

A  shudder  ran  round  the  deck,  while  Louis 
closed  his  eyes  in  earnest  supplication. 

Being  led  forth,  the  convict  was  stretched 
prostrate  over  a  plank,  while  two  stout  galley- 
slaves  held  his  arms  pinioned  and  two  more 
his  legs.  Then  a  gigantic  Turk  approached, 
and  with  his  utmost  vigour  applied  the  cow- 
hide, with  every  lash  bringing  away  a  long 
strip  of  skin.  Not  a  groan  escaped  the  sufferer, 
but  after  a  few  blows  he  broke  out  in 
prayer : 

"  O  Lord  !  give  me  strength  to  suffer  for 


FOR   THE   TRUTH.  169 

thee.  Forgive  iny  poor  comrades  ;  forgive  all 
my  sins  and  take  me  to  thyself!" 

"We'll  soon  stop  his  whining/'  said  the 
comite,  furiously  urging  on  the  Turk  to 
greater  force. 

"  Forgive  my  enemies  !  forgive  the  comite 
for  his  cruelty,  and  teach  him  thy  blessed 
Gospel !" 

"  The  blessed  cowhide  shall  teach  you  to 
shut  your  mouth." 

With  the  twelfth  stroke,  Duress  lost  the 
power  of  speech,  but  still  the  comite  urged 
on  the  Turk : 

"  Faster !  harder  !   Let  him  smart !" 

The  savage  executioner  continued  till  the 
sweat  rolled  down  his  face,  when  he  dropped 
the  lash,  exclaiming: 

"I  am  worn  out:  I  cannot  fetch  another 
stroke." 

Then  the  comite  seized  the  dreadful  instru- 
ment, and  dealt  stroke  after  stroke  till  he  too 
was  exhausted,  when  he  flung  down  his  whip, 
saying  coolly : 

"  I  think  likely  we've  done  for  him  now, 

15 


170  MARTYRS  AND   SUFFERERS. 

though  he  had  as  many  lives  as  a  cat.  Turn 
him  over,  there." 

He  spoke  the  truth.  The  bloody  instru- 
ment had  opened  for  another  saint  the  gates 
of  paradise.  The  once  hardened  reprobate 
had  gone  to  receive  the  martyr's  crown. 

"  And  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  slain  for  the  Word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held : 

"  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou 
not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth  ?" 

"  Revered  pastor !  beloved  Duress !"  ex- 
claimed Louis  with  clasped  hands :  "  your 
conflict  is  ended,  your  victory  won !  help  me 
to  endure  till  my  turn  comes !" 

The  mangled  form  found  a  kind  shelter  in 
the  blue  waters,  and  Louis  Montrevel,  with 
the  peace  of  God  in  his  soul,  took  up  his  cross 
anew  and  went  on  his  way. 


APPENDIX. 


The  following  books  on  persecution  and  martyr- 
dom may,  as  they  have  time  and  opportunity,  be  read 
by  the  young : 

1.  The  Golden  Rule. 

2.  Hadassah. 

3.  Martyr's  Daughter. 

4.  Good  for  Evil. 

5.  The  Martyred  Missionaries. 

6.  The  Bohemian  Martyrs. 

7.  Witnesses  for  Christ. 

8.  Leila  Ada,  the  Converted  Jewess. 

9.  The  Waldenses,  illustrated. 

10.  Madagascar  Martyrs. 

11.  Traditions  of  the  Covenanters. 

12.  Huguenot  Galley  Slaves. 

13.  Annals  of  Persecution. 

14.  English  Martyrology. 

15.  History  of  the  Inquisition. 

16.  French  Protestants. 

171 


172  APPENDIX. 

All  these  books  are  issued  by  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Publication,  and  may  be  read  with  profit 
by  youth.  They  illustrate  the  power  of  sustaining 
grace ;  they  show  what  God  can  enable  old  and 
young  to  do.  As  the  mind  of  the  reader  shall 
mature,  let  him  read  such  books  as  these : 

1.  The  Cloud  of  Witnesses. 

2.  Milner's  Church  History. 

3.  SchafFs  Church  History. 

4.  Josephus. 

5.  Quick's  Synodicon. 

6.  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs. 

It  is  a  kind  wish,  May  you  never  be  persecuted ;  it 
is  a  kinder,  May  you  never  be  a  persecutor. 


THE  END. 


